Janet Stone

GO BEYOND THE ASANA. STRENGTHEN YOUR FOUNDATION. EMBODY THE SOUL OF YOGA IN YOUR PRACTICE & TEACHINGS.

Many of us in the West enter the practice of yoga through movement. The yoga we “do” when we step on our mats is one aspect of a more extensive set of practices and philosophical tenets that can provide a compass for our lives.

The principles drawn from the ancient texts can strengthen your foundation as a practitioner of yoga, and help you to embody the soul of yoga in your teachings and in your life.

Who This Is For

• Dedicated yoga practitioners who feel the calling to go deeper, integrating the philosophy of yoga into their daily life & practice

• Yoga teachers who wish to better understand the 8 limbs, and share it in their own teaching

• Those who have gone through yoga teacher training, but want to gain a more complete grasp of yoga philosophy before beginning to teach

• Anyone who wishes to experience more inner peace, strength and freedom in relationship to themselves and others

  
  

You’ll Receive

• 12 weeks of guided study and practice

• Deep study of the Yamas and Niyamas

• Weekly dharma talks

• Seated practices, including meditation, pranayama, mantra and mudra, for each week

• Asana practices and sun salutations designed to explore each of the 8 Limbs and each Yama and Niyama

• Lifetime access to ongoing course updates

• Questions for self-study and contemplation

• A dedicated Facebook group for discussion and community connection

Course Overview

This virtual course is an opportunity to strengthen the container of your being, and get clarity in your own heart about what practicing the 8 limbs of yoga means in your life.

The 12 week course will cover:

INTRODUCTORY MATERIALS

• Overview of the 8 limbs

• Overview of the Yamas

• Preparatory work and reflections

• Morning form asana practice

• Opening mantra to Ganesh
  

WEEKS 1-5: THE YAMAS

• Ahimsa (Non-Violence) – Practicing compassion and forgiveness

• Satya (Absence of Falsehood) – Becoming trustworthy to yourself

• Asteya (Non-Stealing) – Accepting that what is here is enough

• Brahmacharya (Moderation) – Being awake to the senses but not led by them

• Aparigraha (Non-Grasping) – Allowing things to come and go
  

WEEKS 6-10: THE NIYAMAS

• Saucha (Cleanliness) – An everyday clarification of your spaces and practices.

• Santosha (Contentment) – A non-doing experience of relaxing inward in order to realize your inherent “enoughness.”

• Tapas (Discipline) – A constancy and disciplined fervor that motivates your sustained practice.

• Svadhyaya (Self-Study) –  Ways of clearing away any misperceptions, as a means to see your life clearly.

• Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender)  –  The understanding of how your intentions relate to what you actually give your attention to.
  

WEEK 11: ASANA, PRANAYAMA, AND PRATYAHARA

Asana (posture) and pranayama (intentional movement of life force) are explored throughout all 12 weeks of the course. Here, we explore the philosophical and historical thread of these practices in the context of the 8 limbs. Then, we’ll give particular attention to pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses).

WEEK 12: DHARANA, DHYANNA, AND SAMADHI

The final 3 limbs grow more and more subtle, as practices of focusing the attention. Collectively, dharana (concentration), dhyanna (meditation) and samadhi (absorption) are called samyama (integration), or simply meditation x 3. We’ll explore the subtle distinctions of all three forms of meditation and practices that support stillness.

Recommended Readings

Throughout the course, we’ll recommend readings from the following books. Each module will include a few chapters from each book. These are entirely optional, to enhance the course. Books can be found on Amazon and via other booksellers. Both should be widely available internationally.

• The Yamas and the Niyamas by Deborah Adele

• The Path of the Yoga Sutras: A Practical Guide to the Core of Yoga by Nicolai Bachman

• The Heart of Yoga by TKV Desikachar

• The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Ph.D.