Coming Soon! Putting It All In Context (Where It = Yoga)
Many, if not most, people in North America come to Yoga through the physical practice of āsana or postures. A typical introduction to Yoga usually involves moving our bodies in a particular way. Maybe we also might be asked to breathe in a particular way and the teacher may offer a visualisation or say a few encouraging words along the way. Often we leave class feeling different than when we arrived - we feel better: more relaxed and grounded or spacious and open.
For some, this experience starts to beg the question, “Why?” It can be difficult to find the answer to that question.
Physiology, anatomy, alignment, sequencing - these topics don’t quite get to the why of it. Why does Yoga feel different from Pilates or jogging or even dancing?
The answer to the question why is rooted in how the human system is understood in the historical, philosophical and spiritual roots of Yoga. Vedic anatomy, as explained in texts like the Hatha Prādipika and the pancamaya model found in the Upanišads, give us an understanding of our system that is different from learrning about muscles and joints. The connection between our body and mind (and how this causes our suffering) is explored in Patanjali’s Yoga Sūtra. Exploring how all of this came together can give a depth to the experience of our practice and ensure that we are not appropriating teachings that are Universal to our humanity but also specific to a in a particular time, geography and culture.
If we want to find the answers to why Yoga affects us differently from other physical activities, then these are the places where we should look.
But how to get started? It can feel overwhelming. So much Sanskrit! So many conflicting commentaries! By turns, it can feel dry and academic or so elevated that everything feels totally theoretical and abstract. What’s needed is a trustworthy guide who can share, explain and offer you an experiential inroad to the concepts and ideas presented in these texts so that they become your own, grounded in the reality of your life.
Atha Yoga School is here for you!
Starting this fall, we will be offering three, pre-recorded, online courses for students of Yoga - individuals and people enrolled in teacher training and other programs. We will be offering courses on The Historical Context of Yoga (one 90-minute session), Introduction to Patanjali’s Yoga Sūtra, (five 90-minute sessions) and Yogic Anatomies (three 90-minute sessions). These courses include a dynamic combination of lecture, experience via a led practice and open-ended discussion questions for further exploration. Listen, explore and study on your own time. Practice and come back again and again. Do it individually or take it up as a group. This new program will offer all of these options. There will be a further option to book a live session with the course developer and Atha Yoga School founder, Robyn Love. She can answer your questions and help guide your ongoing practice and studies.
Stay tuned for more details!
