July 9 -14 Summer Program
Sādhana, Sovereignty and The Ocean of Yoga Practice
These interactive practical philosophy sessions are all about how you can cultivate greater agency, courage and consistency in all aspects of life. Weaving together stories and teachings from the classic texts, these sessions will help us develop a clearer map to navigate the inevitable challenges of life and practical supports to help maintain a steady and nourishing practice.
Would you like to:
- deepen your friendship with yourself and your practice
- let your practice become like a great friend whose presence brings you nourishment reagrdless of your time availability or current energy levels
- feel more confident about guiding and maintaining your own practice when you are unable to come to class, or practicing in a mysore class.
- feel stronger and more supported so you can more easily face and overcome resistance to the helpful practices and habits you know support you in your life.
- to gain clearer understanding of robust, adaptable tools so you can maintain practice even when you can not come to class.
- gain clarity about the underlying, foundational principles that can help your practice grow and evolve as you do
- harness the power of regular practice to support you in all aspects of life
- develop practice as a safe, sacred space for you to move with steadiness and purpose towards your deeper goals and intentions
Further information:
Yoga offers us a practical, time-tested method to cultivate true sovereignty as an individual human being, a person no longer so prone to fragmentation or partiality. The path of yoga practice is one of long-term commitment, over many seasons – perhaps lifetimes – of practice. The path is ‘intense’, challenging and sometimes intimidating. It is also empowering, revelatory and its own glorious reward. One of the tremendous beauties of the yoga tradition is the way it conveys its perennially practical teachings in different, complementary ways. In these sessions during our July intensive, James will weave together practical and empowering teachings from the Yoga Sūtra, Bhagavad Gītā and memorable stories from yogic mythology, laying out a robust way to foster greater sovereignty amidst the whirling wonder of this life.
Session overview:
Session One 10:30-12:30 Saturday July 13th
The royal path of yoga – aṣṭāṅga yoga is rāja yoga
With reference to the Yoga Sūtra and drawing especially from the Bhagavad Gītā, introducing the broad, inclusive path of rāja yoga/aṣṭāṅga yoga and how this includes and integrates the mutually supportive paths of karma – action, jñāna – knowledge, wisdom and discernment, and bhakti – devotion and reverence for life. Deepen your understanding of how to include your whole being in your practice, cultivate your strengths and address your weaknesses in practical, sustainable and motivating ways.
Session Two 10:30-12:30 Sunday July 14th
Leaping over the ocean of samsāra. Focusing on the story of Rāmāyaṇa and the character Hanuman – the crest-jewel of yogis. The beautiful stories of Hanuman’s exploits and the rich symbolism of the Rāmāyaṇa invite us into deeper understanding of what it means to practice yoga in service of our own inner sovereign for the sake of reconciliation and lasting peace