Nine months of preparation is required to learn five preparatory meditation techniques, and to establish a daily routine of practicing them. It is important to learn these techniques as Paramhansa Yogananda taught them.
If you live in the Americas: please visit this website: www.anandacourse.com. If you live in Europe please visit this website for more information: click here. If you live in Africa or Asia, it is fine to take the Kriya Yoga Home Study course from Ananda India.
If you don’t mind waiting a few weeks, or whatever time it will take you to read the Autobiography of a Yogi, it would be a good idea to read it first. It will give you a clear picture of the philosophy of Paramhansa Yogananda. If you love reading, and feel that you simply can’t wait to learn to meditate, then it is okay to read the Autobiography of a Yogi simultaneously as you study the first course text book, Lessons in Meditation.