Traditional Yoga Intensive–Philosophy and Practice

“Through perfection in study and yoga, The Supreme Self becomes manifest.“ -  Vishnu-Purana

Yoga is spiritual discipline, a journey of awakening, a vision of life. Sri Aurobindo says, “In the right view of life and of Yoga, all life is either consciously or subconsciously a Yoga.” Through both practice and theory, this course involves an exploration of that understanding. It will immerse you into the deeper dimension of yoga, providing you with knowledge you can use to follow your own unique path. Swami Rama says, ‘You are the architect of your spiritual life. You should learn to build it.’  With an eye always on yoga’s ultimate spiritual purpose, we will develop the practical disciplines of asana, pranayama and meditation.  At the same time, we will study in depth the yogic theories and concepts which these practices embody. Yoga is intensely experiential, yet the full potential of that experience unfolds more completely with an understanding of the vast tradition to which that experience belongs.

Format: 14 or 16 full days (Sundays) over 10 months, with much reading, practice and self-study in between sessions.

Typical Day:  10.30 am – 5.30 pm

10.30 – 1.00  - Asana: Mysore style self-practice
1.00   – 2.00  - Pranayama
2.00   – 2.45  - Lunch
2.45   – 3.45  - Chanting and Meditation
4.00   - 5.30   - Philosophy

Practice sessions generate a beautiful energy. You will have plenty of time for a sustained and powerful practice, preparing yourself properly for a deep experience in meditation.
Afternoon philosophy sessions go into a depth well beyond the scope of most teacher training courses. You might think of them as the practice of jnana yoga, the yoga of wisdom. Real questions provide the framework for our enquiry, and the process of unpacking them is often very personal and experiential. The frame of reference from which we draw can be vast, everything from quantam physics to traditional Christianity. With our vision focused clearly upon the highest purpose of yoga, we seek this understanding for its power to illuminate the ultimate mysteries of reality.

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