SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS
The Yoga Sutra is the central text of the course, but it is part of a much larger body of Yoga and Indian philosophy.
We use supplementary texts selectively.
The purpose is not to cover as many books as possible.
It is to use other texts to illuminate the Yoga Sutra and the central questions of Yoga.
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UPANISHADS
Katha Upanishad · Taittiriya Upanishad · Mandukya Upanishad · Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
These texts provide important sources for investigating consciousness, the Self, knowledge and liberation.
BHAGAVAD GITA
The Bhagavad Gita brings together different approaches to Yoga and provides an important context for understanding practice, knowledge, meditation and liberation.
SANKHYA
Sankhya provides much of the philosophical framework used by the Yoga Sutra.
We investigate the relationship between Purusha and Prakriti, the gunas and the development of discriminative knowledge.
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HATHA YOGA
Hatha Yoga Pradipika · Gheranda Samhita · Yoga Yajnavalkya
These texts provide important perspectives on asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha, meditation and Samadhi.
YOGA UPANISHADS
The Yoga Upanishads extend the investigation of Yoga into subjects including pranayama, subtle body, meditation and liberation.
ADVAITA TEXTS
Texts associated with Shankara and the Advaita tradition provide another perspective on consciousness, Self-knowledge and liberation.
These texts are particularly useful for investigating the relationship between intellectual knowledge and direct recognition.
OTHER TEXTS
Depending on the subject under investigation, we may also draw on texts such as:
Yoga Taravali · Drg Drishya Viveka · Other traditional Yoga and Advaita texts
EXTRACT THE JUICE
The purpose of these texts is not to create an academic survey.
They are used where they help us understand the central questions.
We return continually to the same purpose:
What is Yoga?
What is Samadhi?
What is the nature of consciousness?
What prevents us from recognizing it?
And how can the teaching become direct experience?
