Course objectives:

The 3^rd chapter of Patañjali’s yoga sutras continues with the last three limbs of Aṣtāṅga – Dhāraṇa, Dhyāna & Samādhi, also referred to as antaraṅga or internal limbs. These practices not only culminate in Samādhi but all the mysteries of the yogic life are unraveled and the powers or Siddhis are acquired. This is an important lesson for the aspiring yogī who should avoid confusing these superpowers with the main accomplishments in yoga. Through succinct 5 lessons of this course you will:

• Understand why we study the 3rd chapter.
• Establish your understanding that siddhis are merely a side-effect.
• Learn the real siddhi to take away from this chapter.
• Learn about siddhis in the popular tradition (purāṇas) through short stories to gain a clear perspective on powers.
• Practice chanting the 55 Sūtras to become familiar with the vocabulary.

We will not go into detail about each siddhi mentioned in this chapter, instead, we will stay with what is meaningful and practical to the aspiring yogī.

In the 4th and final chapter of the Yoga Sūtras, Patañjali takes the aspiring yogī systematically through some of the theoretical concepts unpinning previous chapters. Kaivalya, quite literally means absolute aloneless or complete autonomy or Freedom. Your consciousness remaining in its own nature, always beyond time, beyond change. Through 6 lessons you will:

• Understand more deeply the theoretical background of the technique of Yoga.
• Revisit Karma, Saṃskāra & Vāsana and gain a deeper perspective.
• Study the mechanics of Citta
• Learn the steps leading to the final Freedom
• Understand logically what “guṇas return to their origin” means!
• Practice chanting the 34 Sūtras of this chapter

There are audio lessons (for chanting), video explanations (key concepts) along with textual summaries, charts & tables (can be downloaded) to facilitate understanding.

Frequently asked Questions