Held the 3rd Friday of every month, 6:15-7:45pm
$17 drop-in
To pursue anything in life takes an element of faith. For many, the first experience of yoga begins with some curiosity and a lot of uncertainty. We ask ourselves, How is this going to change anything for me? And, once you begin a yoga practice, you might stop to ponder, How do I progress from here? How can I take my yoga practice beyond the mat?
It is much easier to get somewhere when you have a map. The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali* serves as a guide to following the path of yoga but also to gaining Self-knowledge. The once-monthly, evening lead yoga practices will integrate conceptual threads of The Yoga Sūtras as we explore the traditional paths of yoga (bhakti, jñana, kriya & astanga) and see how they provide practical meaning for our daily lives.
Lead by Nicole and/or Pam
The keynote sūtra of Book I is Sūtra 1.2: yogaśh citta vritti nirodhah, or, “Yoga is the control of the thought waves of the mind.” To understand the subtlety of the statements in Book I, it is necessary to ask, “What is the mind?” In yoga philosophy, the mind has several aspects and we will explore these aspects and characteristics of the mind on a practical level in the first three Exploratorium yoga practices.
| Friday, October 16, 2009 |
Sūtras I.5-11
The nature and classification of thought and how it affects our actions and behavior (in yoga postures & breath) |
| Friday, November 20, 2009 |
Sūtras I.12-22
How to control modifications of the mind (thought) |
| Friday, January 15, 2010 |
Sūtras I.29-40
Identifying the obstacles and distractions of the mind and how to bring about tranquility of thought |
Book II of The Yoga Sūtras describes the art of yoga practice, abhyāsa, to guide the practitioner around pitfalls in order to gain greater clarity in all aspects of living.
| Friday, March 19, 2010 |
Sūtras II.1-16
The practical core of yoga and understanding the root causes of suffering (in its many aspects) |
| Friday, April 16, 2010 |
Sūtras II.17-27
Understanding the misunderstandings that bind us to the way we do things (in practice and in real life) |
| Friday, May 21, 2010 |
Sūtras II.28-48
The limbs of Yoga Practice |
*It is suggested that you bring a copy of The Yoga Sūtras with you to this class as a reference tool. We will not be studying the Sūtras in depth, but we will refer to them for guidance and inspiration in practice. Suggested translations include: B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali; Barbara Stoler Miller, YOGA, Discipline of Freedom (does not include original Sanskrit text, English only); Chris Hartranft, The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali; Baba Hari Dass, The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali – Study Guides Vol. 1 & 2; or any other translation of your liking!
The Yoga Exploratorium Program is open to all members of the community and all levels of yoga experience.
