Essentials of Yoga Tradition & Philosophy
‘Essentials of Yoga Tradition & Philosophy’ is a course that has been specially designed by the best of scholar-practitioner-teachers from India and the world, focusing on the quintessential aspects of the Yoga tradition – its origins, evolution, texts, practices, complimentary systems and contemporary discourses.
Faculty
Introduction
In the context of the ever-increasing popularity of Yoga in a globalized world, the need to revisit the fundamental teachings of Yoga Philosophy becomes imperative to preserve the authenticity of the tradition and the integrity of its deep transformative practices. Keeping in tune with Indica Yoga’s commitment to uphold authentic, immersive and transformative Yoga teachings and experiences, this course on ‘Essentials of Yoga Tradition & Philosophy’ has been specially designed by the best of scholar-practitioner-teachers from India and the world focusing on the quintessential aspects of the Yoga tradition – its origins, evolution, texts, practices, complimentary systems and contemporary discourses.
Objectives
- To learn about history of Yoga.
- To learn about the Etymology & Definitions.
- To learn about the Yoga in different scriptures.
- To learn about different schools and streams of Yoga.
- To learn about life and teachings of spiritual masters.
- To learn about modern discourse on Yoga and current research in Yoga.
Expected Outcomes
- Learn to appreciate the origin and development of Yogic thought and practices from ancient to current times
- Be able understand and engage with the seminal texts of the tradition in their original form
- Be able to trace the evolution Yoga philosophy from
theVedic, Tantric andallother important sources - Understand the core concepts and frameworks of Dharma, Karma, Purushartha, Triguana, Sharira, Prana, Kosha and Shad-darshanas which are integral to the Yoga tradition
- Learn to appreciate the need and importance of Sanskrit in getting to the roots of the philosophical concepts and practices
- Understand the different approaches, lineages, schools and practices which are part of the greater tradition of Yoga
- Understand the relationship of Yoga with pluralistic traditions and mono-theistic religions
- Acquire a broader perspective of Yoga beyond postures
- Become familiar with Yoga psychology as a pathway to self-knowledge and transformation
- Learn to integrate these teachings in their day to day living
Beneficiaries
It is open to all who seek to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the Yoga tradition. It is specially designed for the benefit of:
- Yoga Teachers & Students
- Yoga Therapists
- All Yoga enthusiasts
Syllabus
- History of Yoga
- Etymology & Definitions of Yoga
- Overview of texts – Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali’s Yogasutra & Hathayogapradipika
- Schools and streams of Yoga
- Life & teachings of modern spiritual masters
- Introduction to Sanskrit & its significance for Yoga
- Introduction to 6 philosophical systems (Shad-darshanas)
- Introduction to the Complimentary systems of Ayurveda & Vedanta
- Modern discourses on Yoga
- Current research in Yoga
Faculty
Dr. Vinayachandra Banavathy
Director of Indica Yoga
Dr. Vinayachandra Banavathy, is the Director of Indica Yoga, a platform that offers authentic,
immersive and transformative yoga experiences across the world. He holds a PhD on
psychological insights in the Vedas from Pondicherry University, besides Masters’ in Sanskrit,
English, Yogic Science and Applied Psychology.
Vinayachandra is a dedicated teacher who travels across the world conducting courses, lectures
and workshops on a unique blend of Yoga, Psychology and Sanskrit.
His publications include a report on Standardization of Yoga Terminologies for WHO; a book
co-edited with Dr. Anuradha Choudry titled ‘Perspectives on Indian Psychology’, published by
Jain University Press, another book co-authored titled ‘Happiness: Indic Perspectives’, published
by Development Foundation, besides a few articles, papers, booklets on Yoga, Indian
Psychology, Culture and Spirituality
Dr. Anuradha Choudry
Faculty at Indica Yoga
Dr. Anuradha is a guest faculty at Indica Yoga. She is currently working as a joint Faculty at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and at the Rekhi Centre of Excellence for the Science of Happiness at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. A multilingual Sanskritist, she works in the areas of Indian/Yoga Psychology, Philosophy and Culture and travels across the world to deliver lectures and conduct workshops on these topics for national and international organisations and events including the Annual Yoga Congress organised by the European Union of Yoga in Zinal, Switzerland. She has published in various journals and has co-edited and co-authored books titled ‘Perspectives on Indian Psychology;’ and ‘Happiness: Indian Perspectives’; respectively along with Dr. Vinayachandra B. K. Last year, she was the recipient of the Excellent Young Teacher Award at IIT Kharagpur.