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Yoga School
This course bridges my two worlds together, and invites the practitioner to wear their scholar hat and systematically dive into the historico-philosophical background of yoga. This class features two tracks: learning, and living. There will be sessions for information, and sessions for integration. All are included, but you can choose your own adventure based on what appeals to you. The “learning” sessions will be centered around the course material as listed on the syllabus. The “living” sessions will be an opportunity for student questions, practical application, processing and discussion, as well as asking questions about both the information learned and about one’s personal practice. The first class of the month will be content focused (learning), and the second class of the month will be integrative (living). Optional but robust homework and reading will be provided on the full syllabus for students who would like to participate with it, and supplementary materials will be provided.
The course runs twice monthly on Thursday evenings from 6:30-8pm, January to December 2026. Live participation is encouraged, but recordings will be made available by request for those who cannot join live.
The cost is $300; please reach out for payment plans and need-based scholarships. No one will be turned away.
Syllabus and schedule (subject to change):
Session 1- Introduction & Overview; Studying yoga; What is yoga?; Definitions, etymology and etymological issues
Thursdays, January 15th & 29th, 6:30-8pm
Session 2- Pre-History of Yoga; The Indus Civilization and the Vedic Tradition; Proto-yoga Philosophy- The Upaniṣads; Yoga and Sāṃkhya
Thursdays, February 12th & 26th, 6:30-8pm
Session 3 Śramaṇa Traditions; Brāhmaṇical Asceticism and Śramaṇa Traditions; Intro to the The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali
Thursdays, March 12th & 26th, 6:30-8pm
Session 4- The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali
Thursdays, April 9th & April 23rd, 6:30-8pm
Session 5- Epic Representations of Yoga; The Mahābhārata/The Bhagavad Gītā; Karma yoga, bhakti yoga, and jñāna yoga; Karma, dharma, and other major topics
Thursdays, May 7th & 21st, 6:30-8pm
Session 6- Haṭhayoga; Major texts and practices; Gross and subtle anatomy, the body; The emergence of posture; Yoga and tantra
Thursdays, June 11th & 25th, 6:30-8pm
Session 7- The Origins of Modern Posture Practice; Understanding the components and circumstances that contributed to the development of modern yoga practices. Includes colonial conceptions of yoga and the east/west dialogical encounter of physical culture in India.
Thursdays, July 16th & 30th, 6:30-8pm
Session 8- Modern Yoga Traditions; A survey of the most prominent traditions that arose in the early modern period of yoga practice: Krishnamacharya, Desikachar, Iyengar, Jois, etc.
Thursdays, August 13th & 27th, 6:30-8pm
Session 9- The Medicalization of the Yoga Body
Thursdays, September 10th & 24th, 6:30-8pm
Session 10- Yoga and the New Age; Occultism, New Age ideology, Neo-Hinduism, and the construction of modern yoga.
Thursdays, October 15th & 29th, 6:30-8pm
Session 11- Yoga and Consumer Culture; Yoga, capitalism, and consumerism; an overview of yoga’s implication in transnational marketplaces; Yoga’s characteristics as a consumer good/service
Thursdays, November 5th & 19th, 6:30-8pm
Session 12- Cultural Appropriation and the Future of Yoga
Thursdays, December 3rd & 17th, 6:30-8pm
This course bridges my two worlds together, and invites the practitioner to wear their scholar hat and systematically dive into the historico-philosophical background of yoga. This class features two tracks: learning, and living. There will be sessions for information, and sessions for integration. All are included, but you can choose your own adventure based on what appeals to you. The “learning” sessions will be centered around the course material as listed on the syllabus. The “living” sessions will be an opportunity for student questions, practical application, processing and discussion, as well as asking questions about both the information learned and about one’s personal practice. The first class of the month will be content focused (learning), and the second class of the month will be integrative (living). Optional but robust homework and reading will be provided on the full syllabus for students who would like to participate with it, and supplementary materials will be provided.
The course runs twice monthly on Thursday evenings from 6:30-8pm, January to December 2026. Live participation is encouraged, but recordings will be made available by request for those who cannot join live.
The cost is $300; please reach out for payment plans and need-based scholarships. No one will be turned away.
Syllabus and schedule (subject to change):
Session 1- Introduction & Overview; Studying yoga; What is yoga?; Definitions, etymology and etymological issues
Thursdays, January 15th & 29th, 6:30-8pm
Session 2- Pre-History of Yoga; The Indus Civilization and the Vedic Tradition; Proto-yoga Philosophy- The Upaniṣads; Yoga and Sāṃkhya
Thursdays, February 12th & 26th, 6:30-8pm
Session 3 Śramaṇa Traditions; Brāhmaṇical Asceticism and Śramaṇa Traditions; Intro to the The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali
Thursdays, March 12th & 26th, 6:30-8pm
Session 4- The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali
Thursdays, April 9th & April 23rd, 6:30-8pm
Session 5- Epic Representations of Yoga; The Mahābhārata/The Bhagavad Gītā; Karma yoga, bhakti yoga, and jñāna yoga; Karma, dharma, and other major topics
Thursdays, May 7th & 21st, 6:30-8pm
Session 6- Haṭhayoga; Major texts and practices; Gross and subtle anatomy, the body; The emergence of posture; Yoga and tantra
Thursdays, June 11th & 25th, 6:30-8pm
Session 7- The Origins of Modern Posture Practice; Understanding the components and circumstances that contributed to the development of modern yoga practices. Includes colonial conceptions of yoga and the east/west dialogical encounter of physical culture in India.
Thursdays, July 16th & 30th, 6:30-8pm
Session 8- Modern Yoga Traditions; A survey of the most prominent traditions that arose in the early modern period of yoga practice: Krishnamacharya, Desikachar, Iyengar, Jois, etc.
Thursdays, August 13th & 27th, 6:30-8pm
Session 9- The Medicalization of the Yoga Body
Thursdays, September 10th & 24th, 6:30-8pm
Session 10- Yoga and the New Age; Occultism, New Age ideology, Neo-Hinduism, and the construction of modern yoga.
Thursdays, October 15th & 29th, 6:30-8pm
Session 11- Yoga and Consumer Culture; Yoga, capitalism, and consumerism; an overview of yoga’s implication in transnational marketplaces; Yoga’s characteristics as a consumer good/service
Thursdays, November 5th & 19th, 6:30-8pm
Session 12- Cultural Appropriation and the Future of Yoga
Thursdays, December 3rd & 17th, 6:30-8pm