Deepen Your Understanding of Yoga and How It Transforms You

Topics covered:

1. Upanishadic idea of Yoga included Chakras etc. 

2. Darshana Upanishad 

3. Limbs of Yoga according to Darshana Upanishad

Topics presented:

1. Intro to Itihasa 

2. Ramayana, the first poetic work authored by man 

3. Brief story of Ramayana 

4. Yogic Symbolism behind Ramaya

Topics covered:

1. Yoga Vaashistham 

2. How Rama wants to become Buddhist 

3. Buddhism preserved by Vedic Rishis

Topics covered:

1. Vedic paths of Pravrutti and Nivrutti 

2. Ashrama Dharma 

3. Dangers of premature renunciation 

4. Inevitability of Karma

Topics covered:

1. Veda proposes many approaches to one Truth 

2. Schools of philosophy born out of Veda 

3. Existence of 70+ schools of philosophy

Topics covered:

1. Samkhya Philosophy

2. Yoga Philosophy

3. Vedanta Philosophy

Topics covered:

1. Mahabharata - the second Itihasa 

2. Puranas - one to eighteen 

3. Interesting mix of history and Yogic teachings 

4. Vyasa, the author of Puranas and Mahabharata

Topics covered:

1. Classes of Mantras in the Veda 

2. Division of the Veda and the four torchbearers of Vedic Wisdom

3. Further subdivision of the Veda, establishment of oral tradition

Topics covered:

1. BhagavadGita - historical background 

2. Gita, the essence of Upanishads 

3. Reconciliation of various schools of Philosophy 

4. Proposing the four classical approaches to Yoga 

5. Vedanta established as the highest teaching of Veda

Topics covered:

1. Waning of Vedanta post-Krishna 

2. Dawn of Kali-Yuga 

3. Society obsessed with Rituals 

4. Birth of Gautama

5. Brief history of Gautama...his questioning of Rituals 

6. Post-Buddhism 

Topics covered:

1. Brief bio of Patanjali 

2. Different works of Patanjali 

3. Yoga philosophy shaped after Samkhya 

4. Removal of controversy regarding Ishwara 

5. Yoga: Upanishads Vs. Sutras 

Topics covered:

1. Gaudapadacharya 

2. Govindapadacharya 

3. Adi Shankara 

4. Four disciples of Adi Shankara

Topics covered:

1. Alexander invading India around 300 BC 

2. Where it all began - River Sindhu

3. Existence of many schools of philosophy and no religion 

4. 'Hinduism' 

Topics covered:

1. Cultural and trading relations between middle east and India 

2. Invasion of India by Islam 

3. Forceful conversion, loss of vedic literature

4. Eventual mingling of Islam into Indian culture

Topics covered:

1. Strengthening of Islamic presence in India 

2. Predominance of Bhakti Yoga 

3. Some of the Yogis of this time 

4. Vidyaranya

1. A quick look at Hatha Yoga 

2. Hatha Yogis vs. Muslim fakirs 

3. Hatha Yoga Pradipika 

4. Gheranda Samhita

Topics covered:

1. Misportrayal of India and Yoga 

2. Hindooism imprinted on the World’s psyche 

3. The other side of colonization 

4. Aryan and Dravidian theory and its fallacy 

5. Veda branded as religious scripture

Topics covered:

Yoga and Christianity

1. Role of women in ancient Indian society 

2. Some popular Yoginis of ancient times

3. Some modern Yoginis

Topics covered:

1. Brief bio of Swami Vivekananda 

2. Parliament of world’s religions 

3. Vivekananda’s effect on India and west

Topics covered:

Life stories of some Yogis such as Swami Sivananda, Paramahamsa Yogananda, Swami Sachchidananda etc. and how they brought Yoga to the West

How Yoga influenced the intellectuals of the West as well as scientists such as Nicola Tesla, Albert Einstein

Topics covered:

1. Swami Vishnudevananda 

2. Beginning of 'Yoga Teacher Training's

3. Asana teacher certificates

Topics covered:

1. A historical perspective on the current wave of Yoga 

2. Yoga positioned as fitness program 

3. Changing perspective on Yoga