“Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within by controlling nature external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy – by one, or more, or all of these and be free.” – Swami Vivekananda Yoga signifies integration of personality. As one advances towards this integration of personality, the limitations of normal man featured by urge for hunger, sense gratification, possession, fear, notions etc. slowly begin to come under control. At the highest level of this integration man begin to manifest divinity and perfection. Therefore, Yoga is both an end and a means. As an end Yoga leads to complete freedom and perfection and as a means to reach this freedom Yoga employs certain techniques and practices.
The discipline of yoga founded by Patañjali with its limbs of Yama, Niyama, Āsana,Prāṇāyāma, Pratyāhāra, Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna and Samādhi are the techniques meant for reaching thestage of perfection through advancement towards the integration or harmony of personality.One can choose any one of the above techniques of yoga for disciplining the mind and body towards union. Swami Vivekananda further expanded the scope of yoga to include Bhakti, Karma and jñāna yoga into yoga practice, leading the individual to the highest goal of freedom i.e. Mokṣa.This course will contain almost all the practical aspects of yoga to enable students to understand that all yoga practice is for spiritual progression. A sound body and mind assist in the spiritual unfoldment of yoga students. The course will focus on various Hatha yoga techniques like kriyā, āsana, prāṇāyāma, dhyāna, relaxation techniques etc. for complete physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development.The course will help you to acquire skills to put yoga into practice for yourself as a self-development tool and also to impart yoga for others.
| Topic | Activity/Reading |
|---|---|
| Sūkṣma Vyāyāma | Learn 48 exercises of Sūkṣma Vyāyāma covering each body part. Addition to this 5 Sthūla Vyāyāma for complete body. Develop awareness of individual body parts and movements. |
| Sūryanamaskāra | Master the 12 steps of Sun Salutation in three successive stages to gain maximum physical, mental and spiritual benefit. |
| Āsana | Learn and practice a total of 50 basic āsana from each category of sitting, standing, laying and inverted. Read three aphorisms on āsana from Patañjali Yogasūtra and understand the purport of āsana. Learn the art of self-observation for awareness to move from gross to subtle parts of our being |
| Prāṇāyāma & Bandha | Practice of prāṇāyāma mentioned in Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā. Concept of prāṇa and importance of Bandha in energy channelization. |
| Kriyā | Learning and practice of various cleansing techniques. Understand the importance of cleansing techniques in Haṭha yoga. Develop deep internal awareness of body organs through Kriyās. |
| Advance Yoga Techniques | Practice and learning of an advance yoga technique known as Cyclic Meditation (CM). |
| Dhāraṇā and Dhyāna | Understand the concept of Dhāraṇā (focus) and Dhyāna (meditation) and prepare the body and mind for their practice. |
| Analytical Training | How to practice each yoga technique yourself will solely determine your ability to teach it to others. Learn the salient points of each yoga technique along with its benefits and precautions for complete understanding. |
| Karma Yoga | 30 minutes of selfless activity to learn the art of doing action in relaxation. |
48 exercises of sūkṣma (micro) vyāyāma for micro movements for different muscles, parts and
joints of the body and 5 exercises of sthūla vyāyāma of macro movements
Training in over 50 āsanas with technique, benefits and contra-indications
Sectional breathing, Nāḍī Śodhana, Bhastrikā, Ujjai, Brāhmari, Udgītha
Jālandhara Bandha, Uddiyana Bandha, Mūla Bandha, Mahā Bandha
Jala Neti, Vaman Dhauti, Nauli, Kapālabhāti, Trataka
i. Cyclic Meditation (CM)
ii. Pranic Energization Technique (PET)
| Āsana | Vinyāsā | Bīja and Sūrya Mantra | Chakra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Praṇāmāsana | Exhale | Om Hrām Mitraya Namaha | Anāhata |
| Hasta Uttānāsana | Inhale | Om Hrīm Ravaye Namaha | Viśuddhi |
| Pādahastāsana | Exhale | Om Hrūm Suryaya Namaha | Svādhiṣṭhāna |
| Aśva Saṅcālanāsana | Inhale | Om Hraim Bhanave Namaha | Ājña |
| Parvatāsana | Exhale | Om Hraum Khagaya Namaha | Viśuddhi |
| Aṣṭāṅga Namaskāra | Hold | Om Hrḥ Pushne Namaha | Maṇipura |
| Bhujaṅgāsana | Inhale | Om Hrām Hiranyagarbhaya Namaha | Svādhiṣṭhāna |
| Parvatāsana | Exhale | Om Hrīm Marichaye Namaha | Viśuddhi |
| Aśva Saṅcālānāsana | Inhale | Om Hrūm Adityaya Namaha | Ājña |
| Pādahastāsana | Exhale | Om Hraim Savitre Namaha | Svādhiṣṭhāna |
| Hasta Uttānāsana | Inhale | Om Hraum Arkaya Namaha | Viśuddhi |
| Praṇāmāsana | Exhale | Om Hrḥ Bhaskaraya Namaha | Anāhata |
After completing this module students will be able to:
“Kevalaṁ Rājayogāya Haṭhaviddyopadiśyate – Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā (1.2)
The science of haṭha is taught only for the sake of rāja yoga.
The goal of Haṭha Yoga is to bring subtle transformation in one’s psyche by bringing sensitivity and awareness to progressive finer states of our existence. Haṭha Yoga is taught with the aim of preparing the student to take up Rāja Yoga practices like dhāraṇā or dhyāna in due course of time. If after practicing Haṭha Yoga, one is not able to find a point of concentration or focus within the space of body, all Haṭha Yoga practice is in vain. Haṭha Yoga is the process of achieving complete physical, mental and emotional balance by channelizing energies to higher dimensions without causing any disturbance in the mind-body complex of the practitioner.
Teaching methodology course will cover wide range of topics like verbal instructions,demonstration, correction, lesson Planning etc. The core of teaching methodology is to induce change in students by exposing them to new situations in order to facilitate effective learning. Formulation of teaching methods by teachers is closely tied with their familiarity to the subject knowledge. Therefore, right understanding of yogic principles is of utmost importance to create a learning environment where a student is willing to adjust himself to new situations created by teacher. Haṭha Yoga teaching is always meant to move close to one’s inner self. Accordingly teaching methods have to be developed by the teacher.
This course is meant to develop the confidence and capabilities to teach and articulate your knowledge, skills and qualities in the field of Haṭha Yoga to various individuals and population segments.
| Topic | Activity/Reading |
|---|---|
| Meaning of Teaching Method | Understand through lecture that teaching is a process which involves a carefully thought out method. A certain teaching method is adopted depending on the nature and body of knowledge to be transmitted. The student will understand the fact that teaching method is essential for a successful teaching. |
| The Learning Process | Teaching is incomplete without learning and learning is incomplete without adjustment(physical & mental) on the part of student. Every adjustment results in creation of certain experience for the student. That new experience constitutes learning or individual knowledge. For your learning, you will be guided towards certain experiencesled by the teacher. |
| Teaching Methods | Develop a clear cut teaching method best suited for teaching and transmitting the values of Hatha Yoga. Inputs will be given by teacher for you to have a comprehensive Hatha yoga teaching method and a pathway to refine it overtime. |
| Asana Adjustments | Learn the art of giving physical cues to emphasize on certain areas of a particular practice. Understand that the objective of giving adjustments is to deepen the practice and open up to new dimensions and experiences. Further increase the scope of yoga adjustments to address the specific needs of individuals. |
| Trends in Yoga and Yoga Styles | Introduction to various Yoga styles that are practiced and taught. |
| Business Aspect of Yoga | Understanding the concepts of marketing towards creating the value for your students/customers. |
1. Meaning of Teaching Method
2. The learning Process
3. Teaching Methods
4. Yoga Styles and Traditions
5. Business Aspects of Yoga
After completing this module students will be able to:
“IT is the ear of the ear, the mind of the mind, the tongue of the tongue and eye of the eye. Having abandoned ‘I’-ness in these, the wise become Immortal.” – kena Upaniṣad
The body-mind complex of an individual is the psychophysical adjunct of his real Self. Self, which is Consciousness, is always a subject and can never be objectified. Every individual is aware of himself as one experiencing various experiences. These experiences are different states of mind and body. He ascribes to himself (subject) the mental and physical states(object). Fundamentally the ultimate knower, an individual identifies himself with the known psychophysical states. The knower and the known are always different from each other.Therefore, a person cannot be his senses or mind since they are known. What a person thinks of him as ‘me’ turns out to be his ego, a mode of the mind, known to us. Thus, he is aware of the empirical self, the ego, and not the changeless Self ever distinct from the psychophysical adjunct.
If one can perceive the body as manifestation of divine consciousness, one can greatly enhance his quality of life. Yoga practice can elevate awareness to a level where the practitioner can clearly recognize the distinction between body and the Self. It starts gradually by building our awareness first about physical body, than the mind, moving on to the intellect and finally transcending them to arrive at the level of Pure Consciousness.Slowing down of the breath, calming of the mind and deep relaxation to all muscle groups are the three cardinal principles of yoga. The state of calm and restfulness achieved through yoga helps in perceiving finer truths which are otherwise elusive. This module will provide anatomical knowledge and functioning of various bodily systems from the point of view of medical science and yoga. This will help to understand and contrast the basic difference in
the approach towards life from medical and yogic perspectives. For medical science consciousness is the product of bio-electrical functions of brain. Whereas, from yogic perspective consciousness is eternal and it manifests itself as physical and psychical systems and organs.
| Topic | Activity/Reading |
|---|---|
| Introduction to Human Body | Introduction to body constituents and organization of body. |
| Systems of Human Body | Learn about the major systems of human body. Learn their constituent parts and how yoga can improve their health and functioning. |
| Concept of Stress According to Medical Science and Yoga | Thorough understanding about the concept of stress, eustress and distress and how they can positively and negatively impact our well-being. Concept of stress according to yoga. Yoga for healthy and stress-free life |
| Yoga and Health & Disease | Expand the dimensions of health beyond the body. Know and understand health as a dynamic continuum and not just a static point with no sign of disease. Basic introduction to yoga therapy. |
| Yoga Anatomy | Concept of five sheaths. Introduction to chakras or energy centers. Exploring the concept of five layered existence from Taittiriya Upanishad. |
1. Introduction to Human Body
2. Systems of Human Body
3. Concept of Stress According to Medical Science and Yoga
4. Yoga and Health and Disease
5. Yoga Anatomy
After completing this module students will be able to:
“Twofold is the philosophy taught in the Vedas, one is the philosophy of pravritti or action, the other is the philosophy of nivritti or withdrawal from action, i.e. meditation;both are needed to establish a stable world order. These two are needed to ensure for all beings true material prosperity as well as spiritual growth and fulfillment.” –Shankaracharya
There are two dimensions of reality. One dimension is the objective world of multiplicity,which is in a constant flux of change and another dimension is the subjective world of singularity, which is the unchanging Reality at the base of all changes. Reconciling the apparent opposites of One and Many, God and World, Renunciation and Enjoyment, by the perception of essential unity of creation, has been the motive force behind all the actions and strives of people on the Indian subcontinent since antiquity. This reconciliation has always struck the fine balance between achieving prosperity through outward action and spiritual growth through inward contemplation. Swami Vivekananda rightly captured this vedic essence when he said that service and renunciation have been the twin ideals of India. With service he meant outward action or pravitti and with renunciation inward action or nivritti.
The two dimensions are also the two sides of our personality. The changing outer dimension is the dynamic and perishable objective phenomena and the unchanging inner dimension is the silent and imperishable subjectivism. The silent inner feature of our personality known as the Atman or Self is the source and basis of all the outer values or dharma that are manifested at the dynamic levels of human existence i.e. material, political, economic,environmental, psychological and social. Yoga helps in experiencing the immutable, silent and subjective essence of our personality for spontaneous enrichment of our life at the level of objectivity.
The objective of this course is therefore to provide a sound foundation in the Hindu philosophical thought. Hindu Sanātana Dharma as it is known, has emphasized on the practical experience of eternal Truth within our own consciousness. This unique spiritual experience only has shaped the lifestyle and set the ethics of all the practitioners or followers of Yoga and Vedenta.
| Topic | Activity/Reading |
|---|---|
| Introduction to Yoga | Understand the etymology of yoga and get thorough grasp over the meaning and concept of yoga. Study and explanation of classical definitions of yoga for its broad understanding. Origin and development of yoga. |
| Patañjali Yogasūtra | Basic introduction to the Sankhya philosophy of evolution. Concept of triguna according to Sankhya. Understand the concept of mind or chitta according to yoga, its origin and function. Concept of chitta vrittis (mental modifications)and its removal through abhyasa and vairagya. Concept of OM. Klesha and its significance in yoga. Ashtanga yoga of Patanjali. |
| Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā | Haṭha yoga as stepping-stone for Raj yoga. Importance of Haṭha yoga practices for complete health. Reflection over some of the verses of Hatha Yoga Pradipika. |
| Bhagavadagītā | Understanding the secret of action founded on samatva or equanimity. Three modes of nature as driving force for action and inner renunciation of desires.Learning the importance of surrendering fruits of action and sense of agency to become the master of karma yoga. |
| Streams of Yoga | Explore the four streams of yoga, leading to the same goal of mokṣa.Acknowledging the unique contribution of Swami Vivekananda in the field of yoga.Understanding the four paths of yoga as universal means of acceptance of yoga irrespective of religion, race or creed. |
| Yogic Principles of Healthy Living | Understand the concept of yoga as a way of healthy living. |
1. Introduction to Yoga
2. Patañjali Yogasūtra
3. Haṭha Yoga
4. Bhagavadgītā
5. Streams of Yoga
6. Yogic Principles of Healthy Living
After completing this module students will be able to:
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