(YOU CAN STILL SIGN UP AND CATCH UP ON THE FIRST CLASS THROUGH THE RECORDING!!)

Introduction.

12 Live classes | Self paced course with practice & study material | Assignment & certificate

A comprehensive course of 12 live classes (Zoom) on the first chapter of the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali with chanting and traditional commentaries of Vyāsa (and others – Vācaspati Miśra, Vijñānabhikṣu, Bhoja Rāja and Swami Hariharānanda etc). All students will receive access to an online self-paced course to support their study, with recordings of chanting, handouts and summaries. Replays of the Zoom classes will also be made available. If you happen to miss a class during this course, you can easily catch up with the replays if you are disciplined!

The main method of transmission in this course is the traditional chanting of the Yoga Sūtras, the rhythmic repetition of this text allows students to become familiar with the vocabulary of the text and memorise them. This process brings your mind to a meditative state preparing you for a deeper study.

Course level

• Course most suitable for Yoga teachers or those willing to explore the full depth & breath of yoga beyond physical postures.
• The chanting in this course is not Vedic chanting. We still follow the basic principles of Sanskrit chanting, but the rigour of “svara” is not relevant to the chanting of Yoga Sūtras and therefore is very accessible to those with no chanting background.
• Beginners are welcome as chanting provides a practice based way to get to know this text, through repetition and familiarisation with the vocabulary of the text, making commentaries more accessible.

Course Objectives:

Each class will include invocatory prayers, chanting of the Sūtras and discussion of key terms and concepts through traditional commentaries.

By the end of this course you will:

• Have a brief overview of Indian philosophical systems and where Yoga fits in.
• Understand clearly, the definition of Yoga according to Patañjali.
• Learn to recite all 51 Sūtras of the first chapter of the Yoga Sūtras, learning their pronunciation and becoming familiar with the vocabulary.
• Learn all the key concepts from this chapter in a succinct and clear way. For example – Īśvara will be introduced with clarity and practical purpose.
• Learn a consistent way to study (svādhyāya), cultivate discipline and focus while also using your mind in an analytical way.
• Optional: Test your knowledge through a quiz, short answer assignments & submitting an audio recording of your chanting. On successful completion you will receive a certificate (online).

Course fee.

Course fee: €345 including all live classes, learning material and lifetime access to online course material (value €270!!)

If you need payment options (instalments), please contact me via email, I will help you!

Course live class schedule:

All classes run on Tuesday mornings from 9.30am -10.40am Brussels time. (Winter time starts Oct 28 for CET, time-zones not following winter times will be affected by this change).

Dates and syllabus: If you miss a class, you can use the online system to catch up!

1. Sept 7 – Introduction to the Indian Philosophical systems, Sūtra literature, Who is Patañjali
2. Sept 14– Definition of Yoga. Chanting – 1.1 – 1.10
3. Sept 21 – Vṛtti-s – Fluctuations of the mind. Chanting – 1.5-1.15
4. Sept 28 – Abhyāsa (Practice) and Vairāgya (detached awareness). Chanting 1.12 – 1.20
5. Oct 5– Samādhi. Chanting 1.17 – 1.26
6. Oct 12– Śraddha – Conviction in your practice. Chanting 1.20 – 1.30
7. Oct 19– Īśvara – The greatest support for meditation. Chanting 1.26 – 1.35
8. Oct 26– Antarāya-s – The obstacles to my practice. Chanting 1.30-1.40No class on Nov 2!! Please note winter time starts 28 Oct, time change impact for students in countries not following winter times.
9. Nov 9 – Citta Prasādana – Purification of my heart-mind. Chanting 1.33-1.41
10. Nov 16 – Stages of Samādhi, Chanting 1.40 – 1.47
11. Nov 23 – Stages of Samādhi, Chanting 1.45 – 1.51
12. Nov 30 – Summary & optional assignment overview

Certificate of completion:

An optional assignment submission is available for those who would like to receive a certificate of completion for this course. All assignment submissions will take place online and by the end of Jan 2022. Certificate is issued online.

Frequently asked questions:

The live courses are not suitable to my time-zone or I am at work during this time. Can I still sign up and follow with recordings?
Yes, many of our students follow this method of study. My advice is to set aside time in your calendar and follow a disciplined approach to going over the recordings, otherwise, it will be difficult to keep up.

There are so many Yoga Sūtras courses, how is this one different?
I have a strong background in Veda and connect the teachings of the Yoga Sūtras to its source – the Vedas. We approach the study through chanting, a practice based approach to the study of the text. You can become familiar with the vocabulary of the text in Sanskrit. If you are looking for an academic study of the Yoga Sūtras, this course is not recommended for you. In addition, it is not an intensive study of the entire chapter in one weekend or a few weeks – but we learn to invest in a disciplined, weekly, highly structured study over several months.

Do we study each Sūtra in depth?
No, we learn the chanting of all the Sūtras, but the theoretical study is more succinct, clear overviews of the main themes of the text, followed in a logical order that unfolds the teaching of the first chapter of the Yoga Sūtras.

Do I need a background in Sanskrit to study this course?
No, you do not need to have studied Sanskrit previously. However, it is very helpful to learn to read Sanskrit transliteration and understand the sounds of the language. A complete introduction to the Sanskrit alphabet along with practice of pronunciation of āsana names is included in the Self-paced course that students will have access to as part of this program. You can study this in your own time and keep returning to it as needed!

Shantala chanting complete Samādhi pādaḥ: