The State of Yoga: A Living Tradition
This self-paced course asks the question 'What is the state of yoga?', exploring it through a variety of perspectives: philosophic, scientific, pedagogic, and through our own practice.
Use the teaching skills you already have, placing them in context of the state of yoga.
The Pātañjalayogaśāstra (probably around 400 CE) clearly defines yoga first as a state to be aspired to, before introducing methods to achieve that state. Yoga is the residue of the practices, not only the practices themselves. Being a yoga teacher is about teaching in a way that creates the conditions to allow yoga to happen. We want to engage in a conversation about the ways in which integration of practices creates the conditions to allow the state of yoga to occur.
In many entry level yoga training courses, the questions of what yoga is, and the precise philosophical ideas which underpin it, are addressed through the piecemeal study of extracts from a small number of selected textual sources. In this course we move beyond this compartmentalised approach to consider through a lens of integration. What is the state of yoga? What are the means of attaining this state?
The state of yoga will also be explored in relation to its physical and mental health benefits, from the perspective of a contemporary scientific approach. The concept will also be examined in relation to our own practice and teaching others.
We have gathered together a world-class faculty that form an outstanding team of international teachers who are experts in their field. Why these teachers? This is a collective of educators who, with their own individual talents and specialist skills, inspire us to explore the deep wisdom of our inner selves. How? By sharing their understanding in a way that helps us to recognise the state of yoga and how that state inspires us to be in the world.
What will I learn? (Learning Objectives)
1. Yoga is not what I do but what I am
Learning Objectives:
- To have a broad chronological overview of the history of yoga in the light of current scholarship.
- To have engaged in discussion about the state of yoga: how is it defined, what are the commonalities and differences.
- To have discussed the philosophical understanding of the results of achieving a state of yoga: how relevant/important are they in contemporary yoga.
- To have discussed the means of abtaining a state of yoga: ‘top down’ , ‘bottom up’ and ‘integrated’; the development of ‘limb’ systems.
- To have considered yoga in the contemporary world: how far have we deviated from the idea of yoga as a state? How can an integrated approach bring us back? What does this look like in practice?
2. How does the state of yoga affect emotional and physical well-being?
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the correlations with current views on the physical and mental health benefits of yoga (particularly in relation to self-regulation and awareness).
- Understand the relationship between the state of yoga and nervous system regulation, and to be able to articulate it using simple terminology.
3. How do I create the conditions for state of yoga in my practice and teaching?
Learning Objectives:
- To understand the Pancamaya Kosha model, and to be able to articulate it using simple terminology.
- To have a definition of health.
- To reflect on your personal practice of the eight limbs of yoga.
What is Included?
- When you purchase this self-paced course, you get access to recorded lectures and practices to illuminate and embed your learning.
- Podcast-style interviews with leading yoga teachers sharing their views on the state of yoga.
- Access to the course for 1 year* (if you are part of the 300hr training, you get access for 3 years)
- PDF downloads to support your experiential learning
- Suggested reading for further exploration
- 1 hour live discussion session with Graham Burns (scheduled three times a year)
