Sage and Singer

Long-time devotee Peggy Braden shares touching experiences of her time with Yogacharya John Oliver Black. At one time renowned yogi ParamahansaYogananda's "oldest living disciple," Oliver Black was many things to many people. As a respected Detroit businessman during the heyday of automotive manufacturing in the mid-20th century, he became a millionaire at the age of 30. A friend and associate of people like Frank Lloyd Wright and Howard Hughes, he found salvation from the pressures of the fast-paced business world when he became involved in the ancient sciences of yoga and meditation. Yogananda personally guided and encouraged Black as he taught his classes at the Detroit Institute of Arts to students from around the nation. Eventually Yogacharya founded an 800-acre retreat, Song of the Morning, in northern Michigan that still operates today. Peggy Braden spent many years under the guidance of Yogacharya Oliver in Detroit and later at the retreat. She recounts her experiences with him and also the story of his passing, as she was present at the moment of transition.