“Beyond The Asanas: An Introduction to Yoga Philosophy and Terms”
or
” The Beginners Guide to the Practical Perennial Patanjali”
Yoga philosophy can be complicated–different concepts, different language, different practices. Moreover, Indian philosophy is not a single entity but a variety of complementary views. This class will provide a road map and tools for further exploration of yogic texts. We will start with the timeline of Indian literature (week 1), discuss samkhya metaphysics on which the Yoga Sutras are based (week 2), explore the Yoga Sutras (week 3) and finally delve into some of the hatha yoga sanskrit texts (week 4). The overall focus will be on how to make these concepts practical and relevant to our own sadhanas (meditation practices). For texts we will use portions of Swami Rama’s The Royal Path, Swami Veda’s Philosophy of Hatha Yoga as well as various on-line texts.
