Yoga Yajnavalkya with Dr. M. Jayaraman

Study with a master teacher who has actually translated the text he will teach! Learn about one of the key Hatha Yoga texts which influenced Sri Krishnamacharya’s teaching and helped to shape modern yoga as we know it today.

Yoga Yājñavalkya saṃhitā is a unique text in many respects. It is a 13th Century yoga text which is in the form of a conversation between husband and wife. The sage Yājñavalkya is speaking with his student and wife, the Yogini Gargi. This demonstrates how both men and women practiced yoga in those times and that it was practiced by family people as well as ascetics. Yoga Yājñavalkya saṃhitā is also unique in its expression of Vedic rituals, a feature normally not found in Hāṭhayoga texts. As the subtitles indicate, though it is considered a Hāṭhayoga text, its chapters are based on the Aṣṭāṅgayoga of Sage Patañjali. This text is considered to be a confluence of many unique ideas and approaches which has had an influence on the modern yoga that we practice today. Join us for a unique and insightful journey into yoga! Our course will be a systematic overview and in depth exploration of this unique 13th century Hāṭhayoga text with our distinguished teacher, Dr. M. Jayaraman who has personally translated this text and has a deep and thorough knowledge of it.

There are twelve chapters in this work comprising 463 verses. Over a 24 week (six month) period we will be going through each verse with Dr. Jayaraman. This will be an opportunity to learn more about the rich tradition behind Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga as we absorb the deep insight of the Sage Yajnavalkya and experience yoga through the lens of his teachings.

Chapters 

1. Chapter 1 – Introduction to the text & Tradition- 10 Yamas

2. Chapter 2 – Niyamas (10)

3. Chapter 3 – āsanas (8)

4. Chapter 4  - Types of Nāḍīs, places and functions of prāṇas

5. Chapter 5 -  Nāḍīśodhana - Means for Purifying the Nāḍīs

6. Chapter 6 – Prāṇayāmas (11)

7. Chapter 7 -  Pratyāhāras (5)

8. Chapter 8 –Dhāraṇās (6)

9. Chapter 9 - Dhyāna  - (7)

10. Chapter 10 - Samādhi

11. Chapter 11 – On Performance of Nitya Karma

12. Chapter 12 – Review and Final Teachings

A preview of the first chapter…

The text commences by introducing Sage Yājñavalkya with 24 qualities. The qualities include, that he is – omniscient, the one who is always in a meditative state, the one who has controlled his senses and anger etc ., Gārgī  salutes and requests such a Sage Yājñavalkya to speak about the Yoga with all its limbs in detail.(verses 1-9).

It should be noted that Sage Yājñavalkya and Gārgī  are mentioned as husband and wife (Verse 1.42) . Sage Yājñavalkya meditates upon Lord Nārāyaṇa and states that he will speak about the knowledge of Yoga that he attained from Lord Brahman. The Sage mentions that Lord Brahman also taught Pravṛtti (following Vedic way of life with worldly attachments that leads to rebirth) and Nivṛtti (following Vedic way of life bereft of worldly desires towards attaining knowledge which leads to liberation). Towards attainment of liberation the practice of Vedic way of life in a dispassionate manner and Yoga is essential. (Verses 10 -40).

The term Yoga is defined in this context as the union of the jīvātman and paramātman (verse 43) and the practice of aṣṭāṅgayoga leads to that union (along with dispassionate performance of one’s duties and Vedic injunctions (Karma)) (Verses 41-48).

After this, the first limb of the aṣṭāṅgayoga, Yama is enumerated and defined. It is interesting to note that this text enlists ten Yamas, five more than that of Pātañjalayogasūtra. The ten Yamas presented herein are - Ahiṃsā (nonviolence), Satya (truth), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacarya (celibacy), Dayā(compassion), ārjava(straightforwardness), Kṣamā(forgiving nature ), Dhṛti(fortitude), Mitāhāra (moderate diet) and Śauca(cleanliness). (verses 49-69). Thus ends chapter one.

LECTURES WILL BE APPROXIMATELY 1HOUR WITH TIME FOR QUESTIONS AFTERWARD

COURSE DURATION 24 WEEKS

*Please check your local time zone to find the exact timing in your location.

18:30pm India

Oklahoma USA (Central Standard Time) 8am

England and UK 14:00

Central Europe 15:00

Eastern Europe/Greece/Israel 16:00

RECORDINGS OF EACH LECTURE WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL RECIPIENTS

(Please note that the class schedule is subject to change according to the speed that we progress through the chapters, as well as as well as Dr. Jayaraman’s judgment while teaching the course. It is possible that we will spend more time on certain subjects of interest. Please remember that it is necessary to be flexible and welcome all possibilities when studying great philosophical works with great scholars).