Indra Devi — The First Lady of Yoga
Indra Devi, the yoga name adopted by Eugenia Vassilievna Peterson (12 May 1899 – 25 April 2002), was one of the most extraordinary and pioneering figures in the history of modern yoga. Born in tsarist Russia, she adopted India as her spiritual homeland, became the first Western woman to study with the great master Sri T. Krishnamacharya, brought yoga to Hollywood and Latin America, and lived to 102 — a life that was itself a living demonstration of yoga's transformative powers.
A European Childhood, a Cosmopolitan Soul
Eugenia Peterson was born in Riga (then the Russian Empire, now Latvia) into a noble family. Her mother was an actress, and her stepfather was a tsarist army officer. She grew up in a culturally rich atmosphere — music, literature, theatre — and from an early age displayed a restless, curious personality that would not fit within the boundaries of conventional European life.
Fascinated from a young age by Eastern philosophy and spirituality, she emigrated to India in 1927, determined to find her spiritual path. In Mumbai, she immersed herself in Indian cultural life, learned Sanskrit, studied Indian dance and connected with intellectual and spiritual circles of the era. It was here that she adopted the Indian name Indra Devi (Indra = king of the Vedic gods; Devi = goddess).
The Meeting with Krishnamacharya — Overcoming the Master's Resistance
In 1937, during a visit to the Mysore Palace, Indra Devi witnessed a yoga demonstration by Sri T. Krishnamacharya and was immediately captivated. She asked the master to accept her as a student. Krishnamacharya refused.
The refusal had deep cultural roots: yoga tradition was transmitted from master to male disciple. A Western woman, moreover a "mleccha" (foreigner), seemed entirely unsuitable to receive these sacred teachings.
But Indra Devi did not give up easily. She sought the intervention of the Maharaja of Mysore himself, who was a great admirer of Krishnamacharya and patron of his school. The Maharaja personally asked the master to accept Indra Devi's candidacy. Faced with his patron's authority, Krishnamacharya relented — but imposed severe conditions: she would have to observe all traditional rules, including a strict vegetarian diet, rigorous schedules and total dedication.
Indra Devi accepted all conditions without hesitation, and proved to be such a dedicated and talented student that Krishnamacharya ultimately recognised her as one of his most important disciples.
Hollywood — Yoga Enters the Glamour
In 1947, Indra Devi moved to California, following her second husband, Dr. Sigfrid Knauer. In Hollywood, she opened a yoga studio — one of the first on the West Coast of the USA — on Larchmont Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Her charm, her fascinating story as the "Russian who went to India to learn the secrets of yoga," and the effectiveness of her practice quickly attracted a glamorous clientele. Among her most famous students were Greta Garbo, Gloria Swanson, Jennifer Jones, Eva Gabor and numerous other Hollywood stars.
Indra Devi presented yoga as a practice of health, beauty, youth and mental balance — a deliberately accessible approach to the secular American public. In 1953, she published her most famous book, Forever Young, Forever Healthy, which became a bestseller translated into multiple languages and popularised yoga as a health and beauty practice for the American mainstream.
Latin America — A Second Home
In the second half of the 20th century, Indra Devi became an even more influential figure in Latin America, especially Argentina. After the death of her second husband, she married Argentine psychiatrist Dr. Ramón Bautista Materazzi in 1977, and the couple settled in Buenos Aires. Here she founded the Indra Devi Foundation and continued teaching yoga with undiminished enthusiasm well into her 90s.
In Argentina, she became a national celebrity, affectionately called "Mataji" (Sacred Mother) by her Argentine students. She taught in packed theatres, auditoriums and public spaces, bringing yoga to the Latin masses in a way no other Western master had managed before.
A Life of 102 Years
Indra Devi passed away on 25 April 2002 in Buenos Aires, aged 102, a few weeks short of 103. Her extraordinary longevity was frequently cited as living proof of yoga's benefits. Until very close to the end, she remained publicly active, granting interviews and meeting students and admirers.
The Pioneer Legacy
Indra Devi holds a unique place in yoga history:
- First Western woman accepted as a disciple of Krishnamacharya, breaking gender and cultural barriers.
- Pioneer of yoga in Hollywood, opening the path for yoga's popularisation among Western celebrities.
- Principal ambassador of yoga in Latin America, with particularly deep impact in Argentina.
- Her accessible and secular approach was fundamental to yoga's mass adoption in the West.
- She lived 102 years — herself the best advertisement for yoga.
"Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self." — Indra Devi