YOGICSTUDIES Affiliate
About. The aim of Yogic Studies is “to bridge the gap between the general public and the academy—seeking to make accessible the highest quality and most cutting-edge research and teaching in the fields of Yoga Studies, Indology, and South Asian Studies.
Yogic Studies aims to be the standard in online university-level education in Yoga and Indological Studies, outside the traditional university setting. Our diverse faculty is comprised of expert university-scholars, from a wide array of academic disciplines and fields.”
Asturias Yoga is a Yogic Studies Affiliate! Below, we have included links to the Yogic Studies courses we believe will be highly complimentary to your program here. These courses are especially recommend for those interested in joining (or who have already completed) a YTT 200HR here with us. They will be valuable, however, for anyone eager to learn more about studies in yoga and related areas from the most qualified individuals in the field. We look forward to discussing these subjects together during your retreat.
Enroll Today!
“After a brief historical overview of teachings of rebirth in the world’s religions and throughout history, this course addresses different hypotheses concerning the origin of teachings of karma rebirth in ancient India. It will introduce a range of fascinating traditional karma teachings, starting with the earliest sources relatable to conceptions of karma, rebirth and liberation from repeated death that are traceable in the rich corpus of Vedic literature…”
“Over the course of these four sessions, we examine the philosophy and practice of Aṣṭāṅgayoga in depth, with an eye to the great breadth of traditions that it has been historically adapted to engage and enhance. This process sheds considerable light upon the dynamic and adaptive nature of living yoga philosophy and practice in the Indian and larger transnational contexts, including and especially with respect to Aṣṭāṅgayoga…”
“What is the relationship between Yoga and Ayurveda? Sometimes referred to as “sister” disciplines, historically how have the two been related in theory and practice? Ayurveda and Yoga are often considered deeply linked disciplines that together offer a holistic approach to both physical and spiritual health and wellbeing. A third discipline, Rasaśāstra (Indian alchemy and iatrochemistry) is less well-known, but historically forms a bridge between Yoga and Ayurveda…”
“This course serves as an introduction to Advaita Vedānta philosophy. It is a blend between traditional and academic material, seeking to bridge the gap between the practice of Advaita Vedānta and its academic study. We will contextualize Advaita historically, understanding when, why, and how the authors of the Upaniṣads (the main scriptural source for Advaita) started to speculate about the nature of the self and the cause of unending happiness…”
In most contemporary yoga systems, the human body is the focus of the practice. Teachers explain the health benefits of particular techniques, meditation is supposed to positively affect our psycho-physical state, and in some yoga lineages practitioners try to manipulate the chakras or kuṇḍalinī. Simply put, yoga today is obviously very body-oriented. But has it always been so? What do we know about the classical medieval yoga approach to the body? Did yoga develop any specific concept of the body?
Seeking to read the Gītā in its historical and philosophical context, this course will give special attention to the various teachings on yoga in the Gītā, including three of the earliest definitions of yoga in a Sanskrit text! We will explore the well-known (but often misunderstood) models of Karmayoga (“the yoga of action”), Jñānayoga (“the yoga of knowledge”), and Bhaktiyoga (the yoga of devotion”) — as well as lesser-known forms such as Buddhiyoga (“the yoga of discernment) and Dhyānayoga (“the yoga of meditation”)…”
“The Haṭhapradīpikā, more commonly known as the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā, or “Lamp on Haṭha Yoga” is the locus classicus of premodern Haṭhayoga traditions. Written by the yogin Svātmārāma in the first half of the fifteenth-century CE, this influential Sanskrit scripture is a profound treatise on the psychophysical techniques of haṭhayoga (“the yoga of force”). Divided into four chapters, and spread across about 390 verses, the Pradīpikā offers an illumination on the traditional teachings of Āsana (yogic postures), Prāṇāyāma (techniques for breath-control), Mudrā (energetic bodily seals), Samādhi (meditative absorption), and more….”
“The Yogasūtra of Patañjali, written some 1,500 years ago, is the earliest extant systematization of Yoga philosophy and practice. Rendered into 195 short , dense Sanskrit aphorisms or “sūtras,” the YS is the root text for the Yoga philosophical tradition (darshana). It is a profound treatise on the nature of the human condition – the mechanics and layers of the mind-body, the cause of human suffering, and an outline or map of psychophysical practices that can be cultivated in order to obtain complete freedom…”
“In recent years, the origins of yoga and āsana has become a heated topic of interest, with debates flaring over the purported antiquity and “authenticity” of the practice. Today the practice of yoga has become largely synonymous with sequenced postures and yogic stretching. But was this always the case? What traditionally was the role of āsana in premodern India?
This course will seek to offer clarity and insight to these historical discourses, by asking what do we actually know about yoga’s past, and how do we know it?”
“The course will introduce you to the fascinating world view of Sāṅkhya as it was codified in the Sāṅkhyakārikā. This enigmatic Sanskrit text, consisting of about 70 stanzas (depending on which version you read), is the foundational work of Classical Sāṅkhya philosophy. It was composed probably at some time in the fifth century CE by an author named Īśvarakṛṣṇa, about whom virtually nothing specific is known except that he summarized a much more comprehensive and nowadays lost text with the title Ṣaṣṭitantra, the “Authoritative Exposition on Sixty Topics” that influenced Patañjali when he composed the Pātañjalayogaśāstra (i.e. Yogasūtra and its oldest commentary, the so-called Yogabhāṣya)…”
Sanskrit for Yogis
What is Sanskrit? Why is it considered the language of the gods (devavāṇī)? And the language of yoga? This first module will provide a brief history of this ancient “perfected” (saṃskṛta) language—from the Vedic period to contemporary India. We will then begin learning to pronounce the sounds of the Sanskrit alphabet, arranged in accordance with the human vocal apparatus. We will be using the familiar Roman “script”, learning the common rules of Sanskrit transliteration and diacritic marks. This course will provide students with a basic primer on Sanskrit grammar, pronounciation, and syntax — focusing on yogic terminology, āsana names, sūtras and slokas.