Yoga Philosophy
The Yoga Philosophy Certificate Program provides a foundational introduction to the philosophic traditions of India. This program is designed for Yoga teachers and students of Yoga who have an interest in learning about the rich traditions associated with Yoga practice. These include Classical Yoga, various schools of Hinduism (Shaiva, Vaishnava, and various forms of devotionalism), Buddhism, and Jainism.
General Information
Participants take courses in the core texts of the Yoga system as well as the study of the Sanskrit language, which inform yoga philosophy. In addition, students are invited to explore the diversity within historical and contemporary yoga traditions by taking three to five of our many elective courses. New courses and events are offered each semester. All courses will be taught by leading scholars and advanced practitioners with specialized training, some of whom are university faculty. Completing the program in a university setting ensures an education from qualified teachers.
Upon successful completion of 120 hours of study, students are eligible to receive a certificate in Yoga Philosophy from LMU Extension. Students are also welcome to enroll in courses for personal enrichment without pursuing a certificate. Most courses provide ten hours of instruction; others provide 20 hours of instruction. Students must complete twelve units (continuing education units) of study, including seven units in five required courses, and five units of elective course work. Some requirements may be waived if you can demonstrate completion of course equivalents elsewhere. Students must maintain a grade point average of B or higher.
Registration
Submit an enrollment form for the program via direct mail, or contact LMU Extension at 310.338.1971 to handle your enrollment over the phone. You can also register for courses individually online.
SCHEDULE
Core Course Requirements
Course requirements are listed below for the Certificate in Green Yoga, awarded by the Center for Religion and Spirituality in LMU Extension. Participants must enroll in, and complete each of the required five courses (seven units). Some requirements may be waived if you can demonstrate completion of course equivalents elsewhere.
Sanskrit I
Course Number: YGPX 800.01
Learn Sanskrit, the ancient language of the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jaina scriptural traditions. Read and understand the Sanskrit script (Devanagari) focusing on correct pronunciation, preliminary grammar, and translation exercises using hatha yoga vocabulary and Yoga philosophy texts.
Yoga Sutra of Patanjali
Course Number: YGPX 816.01
The Yoga Sutra outlines the basic practices of Yoga, including its ethical precepts, its movement and breathing techniques, and various styles of meditation. Learn about Yoga’s analysis of mind, its theory of karma, and the eight stages that constitute the core of the Yoga path.
Samkhya Karika
Course Number: YGPX 817.01
The Samkhya Karika of Ishvarakrishna outlines basic metaphysical and psychological principles that underpin yoga Philosophy. Learn about the system of tattvas, the building blocks of physical and mental reality. The role of knowledge in cultivating self-understanding will be emphasized.
Upanishads
Course Number: YGPX 818.01
The Upanishads constitute the philosophical insights of the early sages of India and also document some of the earliest practices of Yoga. Study the key ideas of the Upanishads, including non-dualism, the identity between Self (Atman) and Supreme Consciousness (Brahman), and the ineffability of the absolute.
Bhagavad Gita
Course Number: YGPX 819.01
The Bhagavad Gita encapsulates the primary features of Yoga practice. It narrates the story of a confused warrior seeking counsel from his charioteer (Lord Krishna) who illuminates the nature of various Yoga practices. Learn key Sanskrit verses, read through and discuss the entire text, and explore the meaning of such topics as the three gunas (core constituents of reality) and visionary consciousness.
Elective Course Requirements
Participants must complete five units of elective course work in Yoga Philosophy (YGPX). Some requirements may be waived if you can demonstrate completion of course equivalents elsewhere. You can view course offerings in the LMU Extension online course catalogue.
INSTRUCTORS
Swami Veda Bharati, current Spiritual Director and Preceptor of Sadhana Mandir, has spent the past 52 years teaching and providing spiritual guidance around the world. He was raised in the 5,000-year-old tradition of Sanskrit-speaking scholar-philosophers of India, and has taught the Yoga-sutras of Patanjali from the age of 9 and the Vedas from the age of 11. Author of the most comprehensive commentary on Patanjali's Yoga-sutras and many other books, Swami Veda is a poet, scholar, research guide and international speaker par excellence. Before taking his vows of Swamihood in 1992, he was known as Dr. Usharbudh Arya. A prolific writer and speaker, he is the author of numerous books, including Super Conscious Meditation, Mantra and Meditation, Meditation and the Art of Dying, Philosophy of Hatha Yoga, God, Sayings, and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
John Casey, Ph.D. teaches in LMU's Department of Theological Studies and is a specialist in the meditative traditions of India.
Christopher Key Chapple, Ph.D. is the Navin and Pratima Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University. Professor Chapple's research interests have focused on the renouncer religious traditions of India: Yoga, Jainism, and Buddhism. He has published several books, including Karma and Creativity (1986), a co-translation of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (1991) and Nonviolence to Animals, Earth, and Self in Asian Traditions (1993), Hinduism and Ecology (2000), a co-edited volume, Jainism and Ecology: Nonviolence in the Web of Life (2002) and Reconciling Yogas (2003).
Elena Christova, Ph.D. received her doctorate in Comparative Literature at UCLA. She has served as Director of a distance-learning M.A. program in Humanities at CSDH. E. Christova teaches spiritual courses and meditation and does healing in the tradition of her master, Sri Kaleshwar.
Archana Dongre, M.A. obtained her degree in Sanskrit from the University of Bombay, India. A Comprehensive Curriculum of Sanskrit Literature and Vedanta Philosophy. She is a Resident Sanskrit Scholar at Alas de America Yoga Institute. She is also a Sanskrit resource person to Hinduism Today and Chinmaya Mission.
Ramakrishna Narayanaswami, Ph.D. trained in classical Vedic philosophy and ritual (Shiva Puja) in his native India; he is a founding member and patron of the Venkateshvara Temple in Malibu.
Srivatsa Ramaswami is Krishnamacharya's longest-standing student outside the family. He has mastered Vinyasa Krama, Vedic Chanting, and Yoga Therapy. He has studied the classic Yoga texts extensively and has written countless articles, recorded more than 35 cassettes of Sanskrit mantra, and has written two books: Yoga for the Three Stages of Life and Krishnamacarya's Vinyasa Yoga.