Mar 13 • General discussion
Yoga Philosophy + Ayurveda Courses Coming Soon
Hey guys! Unless anyone is burning for an anatomy course, I'm focusing on the 2 other topics I had in mind for the next courses to publish: Intro to Yoga Philosophy, and Intro to Ayurveda.
I've really only been studying yoga philosophy since September 2025 (about 6 months), but I love it, and I really enjoy the Dharma talks that my teachers give. One of the best ways to show appreciation for teachers is to listen, apply that knowledge, and *share* that knowledge.
I am going to be more methodical about the publication of these next courses (i.e. I won't make pages visible until they are completed), so since there isn't currently a formal place you can view philosophy information and I want to share this but it's too long for an Instagram caption, here is just something that I wrote today after a class I went to with Julie Pasqual. I'd love to hear any of your thoughts and get some discussion going about this!
In all of the ancient yogic texts, the asana (physical pose) practice is mentioned very little. For example, the Bhagavad Gita talks about 4 traditional paths of yoga:
- Karma Yoga - the path of action and service;
- Bhakti Yoga - the path of devotion;
- Jnana Yoga - the path of knowledge; and
- Raja or Ashtanga Yoga - the path of meditation.
Of these 4 paths, the only path that alludes to asana practice is Ashtanga (Raja) Yoga.
The reason for the limited discussion of asana is because yoga is not about exercising, but about the realization of the Self, the Atman, the Purusha, the shared consciousness within all organisms, which is deeper than and separate from both the body and the mind. Not even our personalities are what we truly are.
That is not to say that our actions and the traits that we cultivate within our bodies and minds are not important. They are so important, actually, that there exists a “sister science” to yoga, which is called Ayurveda, which translates roughly to “the science of life,” and deals with taking care of our physical and mental selves in the material world.
Essentially, the difference between yoga and Ayurveda is this… Yoga, which translates to “union,” is about coming to the realization that we are not our temporary bodies or minds, but we are our temporarily-individual pieces of eternal universal consciousness which are witnessing the world through the body and mind. Our bodies and minds are ever-changing. If the concept that you are not your mind is difficult to grasp, think about your mind when you were 6 years old, and think about your mind now - it is not the same. Neither is your body. Ayurveda exists as recognition that we need to take care of the bodies and minds that we have; it explains how to live in the material world of Prakriti (Prakriti is everything aside from Purusha, so that includes everything physical, including our bodies, and also our minds).
Every Friday, I take a level 2 vinyasa class with one of my teachers, Julie Pasqual. She is well-versed in yoga philosophy and always shares rich information and food for thought throughout class. Today, as she often does, Julie talked about a specific way in which asana practice prepares us to align our daily actions, behaviors, and attitudes with the philosophy and ethics of yoga. One specific transferable skill is humility. That doesn’t just refer to being humble by not bragging about your ability to do Koundinyasana B, and it also doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t feel accomplished or can’t share a photo when you achieve a challenging pose. What Julie called attention to is the multitude of asanas (poses) in which the heart is below the head, including Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog), Uttanasana (forward fold), and Prasarita Paddotanasa (wide-legged forward fold), which are almost always part of a yoga class. The heart being below the head symbolizes humility and gratitude, and being aware of this as we participate in yoga asana practice is a powerful way to cultivate those qualities and apply them to real-life situations.
2
2 comments
Yoga Philosophy + Ayurveda Courses Coming Soon
powered by
skool.com/vinyasa-yoga-basics-9163
If you're starting a yoga practice, or just want to go back to the basics, welcome! Here, we'll share our knowledge of yoga asana, philosophy, & more.
Suggested communities
Powered by