Yoga Philosophy Program

The Indian word for philosophy is darshana, which literally means ‘vision'. Studying and working with yoga philosophy is a means to have a vision of your innermost being, as well as to have a vision of a way of living in this world that is anchored in that sacred core of life. The Yoga Philosophy Program at YogaKula is second to none, as it features teachers who are steeped in the spiritual traditions of ancient India, and who fluently read the Sanskrit language in which those teachings are written. Our teachers, with degrees from UC Berkeley and other institutions, offer a window of insight into the wisdom traditions of India, making them accessible, so that we can actually use them to improve our quality of daily life. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to experience the original texts and teachings of the Yoga Tradition.

YOGA PHILOSOPHY FACULTY

Carlos Pomeda MA Sanskrit and Religious Studies is an internationally acclaimed Eastern Philosophy Scholar and former monk of the Saraswati order. Carlos will convey to you the profound teachings of the Indian Yoga tradition in a way that is clear, meaningful and applicable.

Dr. Douglas Brooks, PHD, is among the world's leading scholars of Hindu Tantrism. Through lecture and discussion, Dr Brooks will unfold the philosophy of intrinsic goodness that underlies the practice of Anusara Yoga. Dr Brooks holds a PHD from Harvard and is currently a Professor of Religion at the University of Rochester in New York.

Paul Muller-Ortega, PHD, is recognized internationally as one of the world’s most highly respected scholars in the field of Indian Religion and Hindu Tantra. and is the author of The Triadic Heart of Shiva. He received his Ph.D. from The University of California at Santa Barbara and currently teaches at the University of Rochester. Dr. Muller-Ortega is known for his unparalleled scholarly authenticity and for being a charismatic and eloquent teacher with a unique capacity to convey esoteric truths in ways that create profound shifts in his students. Integrating this with the wisdom gained from forty years teaching and practicing meditation, Dr. Muller-Ortega will take you on a guided tour of consciousness that will be inspiring and enlightening.

Sally Kempton, also called Durgananda, is a preeminent author and founder of the dharana Institute. A brilliant and insightful meditation teacher, Sally will provide you the tools for the process of inner exploration, integrating heart, mind and body in a way that opens you to experience your natural state of wisdom and love.

Christopher D. Wallis PHD, has been teaching meditation and yoga philosophy both academically and in spiritual contexts for the past nine years. His students enthusiastically speak about his inspirational style, especially the refreshing way that he balances intellectual rigor with heart-opening love for the tradition and its practitioners.

Sanskrit Classes

Sanskrit is the language of the ancient scriptures of India. Students will learn script, pronunciation and translation. Call about our next series.

Why study Yoga philosophy?

The sages who promulgated the various branches of the Indian spiritual tradition wrote that practice without knowledge was fruitless. The true goal of Yoga is a total integration of body, mind, and spirit into a harmonious whole that directly empowers us to fulfill our potential and attain the supreme peace that is our true nature.  Without intellectual understanding and knowledge, spiritual practices may lack a clear sense of direction. By the same token, knowledge without practice is also fruitless. For this reason, the philosophy workshops at YogaKula will feature an engaging contemplation of India’s wisdom tradition, with a focus on immediately applying these liberating teachings to our daily lives. By integrating study and contemplation with meditation and hatha yoga, we have an opportunity to transcend our apparent limitations and fulfill our potential for boundless joy. 

Who studies Yoga philosophy?

If you are:

•      A yoga-practitioner who has always wanted to know the secrets of the spiritual tradition behind your practice;

•      A total beginner who feels drawn to the Eastern articulation of our universal human spirituality;

•      A yoga teacher who wants to deepen your experience and offer your students a more profound and integrated vision;

•      Someone who wants to attain greater physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being;

•      Someone who knows the fulfillment and joy that meditation, spiritual wisdom, and yoga practices can bring and longs to develop them to the limit;

Benefits of Yoga Study

The practice of meditation and related disciplines:

•      Calms the mind and nervous system

•      Heals psychological trauma

•      Balances mental and physical energies

•      Enhances peak experiences

•      Increases contentment and equanimity in daily life

•      Leads to the discovery of one’s true nature

•      Results in freedom from pain

The study of yoga philosophy:

•      Cultivates, refines, and sharpens our mental faculties

•      Clears away confusion regarding the obstacles to our growth

•      Clarifies the various possible routes to spiritual fulfillment

•      Maps the psychological terrain traversed on the spiritual path

•      Provides meaning to human existence

•      Explains the causes of—and solutions to—the problem of suffering

•      Offers the possibility of radical freedom

The practice of hatha-yoga and related physical disciplines:

•      Improves, strength, flexibility, and vitality

•      Refines circulation and reduces stress

•      Improves digestion and boosts the immune system

•      Rejuvenates body and mind

REMEMBER: what you do with your mind affects your body; what you do with your body affects your mind.

Meditation: the Inward Path

What completes the practice of Yoga is its internal element, meditation. This series of courses, in three levels, detail the ancient practice of meditation that is the very foundation and backbone of the Yoga Tradition. A variety of simple and powerful meditation techniques are introduced and developed in ways that are accessible and yet just challenging enough to allow for growth opportunities. Guidance by our faculty is thorough and supportive, and students can expect to receive a good grounding in the basic forms of meditation.

More and more people are finding that establishing a regular practice of meditation in their lives helps them to find inner peace and centeredness, to sharpen their concentration and the way they perceive what occurs in their lives. Meditation invites you to enhance your experience of being alive, and it also offers you much more: the possibility to find out your deepest identity and the natural joy that radiates from within your own being.

Simply put, meditation holds the key to transformation.

Offered in three levels

Level I – Establishing the Foundations

Level II – Widening the horizons

Level III – Deepening the experience

Meditation courses include:

•      Introduction to meditation

•      Advanced meditation techniques

•      Pranayama (breath control)

For Whom

This series of classes will be of interest to:

• Hatha Yoga Teachers seeking direct experience of the inner dimensions of yoga

• Meditators and spiritual seekers interested in deepening their understanding of the dynamics of meditation as well as the various approaches to the practice

• Students curious about this profound and fascinating practice

• Anyone interested in enriching their life, investigating and unfolding their own potential, or simply seeking an increased sense of well-being

Yoga Philosophy

The contemplation of spiritual wisdom is an essential part of the path of Yoga. ‘Philosophy’ in the Indian context refers not to dry speculation, but a lively engagement with the most immediate and personal questions of life, as well as a set of practices to attain the deepest levels of insight.

Nor is the wisdom of the Yoga tradition captured by the sound-bite fluffy clichés of the New Age. Rather, this spiritual knowledge is challenging, complex, meaningful, and profound. Its ideas and practices, when applied, are life-transforming. In short, Yoga philosophy constitutes a formula for dynamic action. These claims will be explored in detail in our unique curriculum of Yoga Philosophy Workshops.  Twelve workshops, comprising one year of discovery and learning, each explore a significant school of yogic thought; together, all twelve give the student a comprehensive understanding of the breadth of applied spiritual wisdom in ancient India.  Completion of the twelve leads to a Certificate in Yoga Philosophy from YogaKula, and more importantly, a thorough acquaintance with the many exciting opportunities for Self-actualization uncovered by the Yoga Tradition.

Philosophy Series

1. History and Overview of Yoga /The Secret Teachings of the Upanishads

2. The Yogas of Action, Knowledge and Devotion (Bhagavad-gita)/ The Bhakti Sutras: Joyous exultation of the Divine

3. Patanjali’s Classical Yoga: Blueprint for Transformation

4. Vedanta: Seeing the Oneness of Being Beyond Illusions

5. Tantra: the Wheel of Divine Energy

6. Kundalini-yoga: Charting the Inner Landscape/ Hatha Yoga and the Natha Tradition:Spiritual and Physical Alchemy

7. Upanishads and Vedanta 

8. The Bhagavad Gita

9. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra I

10. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra II

11. Hatha Yoga Pradipika

12. Tantra and Kashmir Shaivism

Each one of these workshops is available on DVD with a Study Guide.

Other courses in the Yoga Philosophy area include:

•      Yoga of Death and Dying: "What lies beyond?"

•      Living Yoga

•      Psychology of Yoga

•      Cosmology of Yoga

•      Yogic texts study group

Anusara Yoga

The practice of hatha-yoga focuses on the refinement and cultivation of the physical body as a vehicle for realizing the Divine. All forms of hatha-yoga (which is popularly, but inaccurately, referred to by ‘yoga’) have a common foundation. However, we believe the style called Anusāra Yoga is the most effective for developing your practice, and one that emphasizes the spiritual dimension of Yoga as well.  Anusāra (pronounced ah-noo-SAH-ruh) is a Sanskrit word that literally means ‘following the flow’.  The name also refers to coming into alignment w•ith the current of sacred energy within sometimes called ‘grace’.  Experienced practitioners of other styles will find it easy to learn the Anusāra style, which involves surrendering to the power and sweetness of the pose.

Different hatha-yoga practices are appropriate for people with different health situations and different stages of life: take our workshops and consult with our teachers to develop your perfect practice.

•      Introduction to Anusāra Yoga

•      Anusāra Yoga Immersion

•      Anusāra Yoga Principles Workshop

•      Setting up a Home Practice Workshop

•      Advanced Anusāra Yoga Workshop

•      Anusāra Teacher Training Program

Yoga and Health

Meditation and hatha-yoga enhance and improve health, but health can be further balanced through these courses. Herbal medicine, breath-work, and poses targeting specific ailments can be powerful tonics.[1]

•      Ayurveda

•      Pranayama

•      Therapeutic Yoga

Sanskrit

Sanskrit is the language of the ancient scriptures of India, including its spiritual and philosophical literature. It is also the language of mantras, sound vibrations that are integral to a successful meditation practice.

The purpose of studying Sanskrit is three-fold:

·         To learn to pronounce the language correctly.

·         To understand the mystical significance of the alphabet, empowering and supporting your mantra practice.

·         To thoroughly understand the terms of philosophical and spiritual discourse of ancient India, opening up the understanding of yogic scriptural passages. This also includes an understanding of the Sanskrit names for the various poses of Hatha-yoga.

The course is taught in a very dynamic, user-friendly methodology that engages students in translation from the beginning, allowing them to absorb grammatical principles in a lively way. Discover the joy of the Sanskrit language.

•      Level I – Beginner. Learn script and pronunciation. Translate significant passages

•      Level II – Complete knowledge of phonetic changes. Reinforce reading and writing skills. Translate significant passages

•      Level III – Translation using Sanskrit dictionary

For Whom

This workshop will be of interest to:

• Hatha Yoga teachers interested in improving their pronunciation of Sanskrit terms

• Hatha Yoga students seeking a deeper understanding of the roots of the tradition

• Meditators and spiritual seekers interested in obtaining a deeper experience of the power of the texts

• Students curious about this fascinating language

• Anyone interested in Indian philosophy, culture and spirituality

Creative Arts

An often-neglected aspect of spirituality is that of creative expression. When we delve within and struggle to express our personal journeys in ways that are meaningful to us, we often catalyze further growth in unexpected ways. Creativity is not only for artists; in fact, it is one of the most effective tools for emotional healing available to us. This sort of creativity does not strive to produce an expression that is ‘good’, but one that is authentic. Many have broken through old blockages with creativity, and the expressions that arise spontaneously as a result of flashes of inner insight are among the most touching and beautiful.

•      Yoga and Creativity

•      Sacred Poetry

•      Improv Theatre workshop

•      Dance and Movement

•      Art and Awakening

WORKSHOP POLICY
Pre-registration is recommended and prepayment in full is required to hold space. 48-hour cancellation policy on all workshops. Cancellations within 48 hours will be charged in full. No refunds. A credit towards yoga classes will be given if cancellation is received 48 hours prior to workshop. Series and monthly passes not valid for workshops . YogaKula and its teachers reserve the right to cancel workshops. If YogaKula cancels a workshop, a full credit or refund will be issued.