Editing Paramahansa Yogananda (section)

==Return to America, 1936==
In late 1936, Yogananda's ship arrived in New York harbor, passing the [[Statue of Liberty]]; he and his companions then drove in his Ford car across the continental US back to his [[Mount Washington, Los Angeles|Mount Washington, California]], headquarters. Rejoined with his American disciples, he continued to lecture, write, and establish centers in southern California. He took up residence at the [[Encinitas Gardens of Self Realization Fellowship Hermitage|SRF hermitage in Encinitas, California]], which was a surprise gift from his advanced disciple [[Rajarsi Janakananda]].<ref>[https://yogananda.org/encinitas-retreat Self-Realization Fellowship: Encinitas Retreat] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326012100/https://yogananda.org/encinitas-retreat |date=March 26, 2019 }}. Yogananda.org. Retrieved on March 25, 2019.</ref><ref>[http://www.encinitastemple.org Self-Realization Fellowship] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226213226/http://encinitastemple.org/ |date=February 26, 2021 }}. Encinitas Temple. Retrieved on March 25, 2019.</ref> It was at this hermitage that Yogananda wrote his famous ''Autobiography of a Yogi'' and other writings. At this time, he created an "enduring foundation for the spiritual and humanitarian work of Self‑Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society of India."<ref>{{Cite web |title=A Beloved World Teacher: Creating a Spiritual Foundation |url=https://yogananda.org/a-beloved-world-teacher |access-date=August 18, 2023 |website=Self Realization Fellowship |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[File:Paramahansa-Yogananda-with-book.jpg|thumb|upright|Yogananda with his autobiography, 1950]]

In 1946, Yogananda took advantage of a change in immigration laws and applied for citizenship. His application was approved in 1949, and he became a naturalized U.S. citizen.<ref name = Phil/>

The last four years of his life were spent primarily in seclusion with some of his inner circle of disciples at his desert [[Retreat (spiritual)|retreat]] in [[Twentynine Palms, California]], to finish his writings and to finish revising books, articles and lessons written previously over the years.<ref name="Gita">{{cite book |last=Yogananda |first=Paramahansa |title=God Talks With Arjuna – The Bhagavad Gita p.xii/1130 |year=1995 |publisher=Self-Realization Fellowship |location= Los Angeles, CA|isbn=978-0-87612-030-9}}</ref> During this period he gave few interviews and public lectures. He told his close disciples, "I can do much more now to reach others with my pen."<ref>{{cite AV media|last=Mata |first=Mrinalini |title=In His Presence: Remembrances of Life With Paramahansa Yogananda |type=DVD |publisher= Self-Realization Fellowship|isbn=978-0-87612-517-5}}</ref>