Fall 2002 Yoga Philosophy Courses

deepen your understanding of  yoga

Yoga Philosophy Program - Loyola Marymount University


Courses & Events - Fall 2002

Courses begin Tuesday, September 3, 2002, with four evenings on Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.
All courses will be held at Loyola Marymount University unless otherwise noted.

Yoga Sutra of Patanjali
Sanskrit 1
Bhagavad Gita
Upanishads
Hindu Puja
Awakening From Within: Buddhist Contemplative Practice
Advanced Studies in the Yoga Sutra: The Luminous Path
Advanced Studies in the Yoga Sutra: Ethical Practices
Mirabai: Hindu Saint for a Global World (conference)
Yoga of Sound: Kirtan
Yoga of Sound: Workshop


Yoga Sutra of Patanjali
RELX 970 (1 unit, 10 hours, $150)

Tuesdays, September 3, 10, 17, 24
7:30 to 10:00 p.m.

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 the mind, its theory of karma, and the wight stages that constitute the core of the Yoga path.

Dr. John Casey is a Visiting Professor in the Department of Theological Studies at LMU. He received his Ph.D. in comparative philosophy from the University of Hawaii. He is a specialist in the meditative traditions of India and has taught workshops on Yoga locally and nationally.
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Sanskrit 1
RELX 960 (2 units, 20 hours, $300)

Wednesdays, September 4, 11, 18, 25 and October 2, 9, 16, 23
7:30 to 10:00 p.m.

Learn Sanskrit, the ancient language of the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jaina scritural 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.

Marcy Braverman received her Ph.D. in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has studied Sanskrit for eight years, including one year in New Delhi and has taught at local Yoga centers and universities including LMU. Her dissertation examines the concept of divine madness in Kashmir Shaivism.
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Bhagavad Gita
RELX 975 (1 unit, 10 hours, $150)

Wednesdays, October 30 and November 6, 13, 20
7:30 to 10:00 p.m.

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.

Dr. Christopher Key Chapple (Ph.D., Fordham University) is Professor of Theological Studies and Director of Asian and Pacific Studies at Loyola Marymount University. He has published ten books on topics related to the religions of India, including Karma and Creativity and a co-translation of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Dr. Chapple studied classical Yoga at Yoga Anand Ashram from 1972 to 1985.
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Upanishads
RELX 974 (1 unit, 10 hours, $150)

Mondays, September 9, 16, 23, 30
7:30 to 10:00 p.m.

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 ineffability of the absolute.

Dr. R. Swami Narayanaswami (Ph.D., Texas Technical University, Lubbock) trained in classical Vedic philosophy and ritual (Shiva Puja) in his native India under his father, Sri S. Ramakrishna Iyer. He obtained advanced Vedic training from Cochin Srinivas Iyer in his native town, Tripunthura in Kerala State. He is a founding member and patron of the Venkateshvara Temple in Malibu. He lectures on the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads to India Associations and study groups.
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Hindu Puja
RELX 981 (1 unit, 10 hours, $150)

Saturday, October 26, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 to 5:30 p.m.
Monday, November 5, 9:00 p.m. to Tuesday, November 6, 3:00 a.m.

Location: Vedanta Society of Southern California
1946 Vedanta Place, Hollywood

Puja is a process that involves meditations, visualizations, mantras and mudras. It can be applied to any form of God that a person worships. A general introduction and explanation of puja will be given and participants will perform various puja practices. These basic processes will be elaborated and applied to the special fall worship of Kali, the Divine Mother of the Universe, a night puja that the participants will attend.

Pravrajika Saradeshaprana, who grew up in Australia lectures throughout the country on topics pertaining to Vedanta philosophy and spiritual practice. She has been a nun at the Vedanta Society for 34 years, and helps manage the Vedanta Bookshop.
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Awakening from Within: Buddhist Contemplative Practice
RELX 992 (1 unit, 10 hours, $150)

Thursdays, October 3, 10, 17, 24
7:30 to 10:00 p.m.

This course provides an introduction to Buddhist contemplative practice, emphasizing the experience of the practitioner. Students will experience traditional contemplations such as the Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind, the slogans of Atisa, and the Four Immeasurables. The contemplations are offered in the context of an introduction to Tibetan Buddhist view and meditation, with an emphasis on personal journey and discovery.

Pamela Bothwell, a senior student of the Vidyadhara, Chogyam Trungpa,
Rinpoche, has been a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism since 1973. She served for three years as head of study and practice at Karme Choling Buddhism Contemplative Center in Barre, Vermont.

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Advanced Studies in the Yoga Sutra: The Luminous Path
RELX 976.01 (1 unit, 10 hours, $150)

Friday, October 18, 7:30 to 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 19, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 20, 3:00 to 5:30 p.m.

Location: Vedanta Society of Southern California
1946 Vedanta Place, Hollywood

The Yoga Sutra of Patañjali emphasizes the need to see a distinction between consciousness (purusa) and the manifest world (prakriti). Through the application of the practices of Yoga, the individual seeks to slough off various impurities which allows on tot advace toward states of clarity and luminosity in one's comportment and relationships. We will explore Patanjali's careful insistence on discriminative discernment (viveka khyati) as key to making progress on the spiritual path.

Prerequisite: Yoga Sutras of Patañjali course or equivalent study.

Dr. Christopher Key Chapple (Ph.D., Fordham University) is Professor of Theological Studies and Director of Asian and Pacific Studies at Loyola Marymount University. He has published ten books on topics related to the religions of India, including Karma and Creativity and a co-translation of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Dr. Chapple studied classical Yoga at Yoga Anand Ashram from 1972 to 1985.
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Advanced Studies in the Yoga Sutra: Ethical Practices
RELX 976.02 (1 unit, 10 hours, $150)

Tuesdays, October 29 and November 5, 12, 19
7:30 to 10:00 p.m.

Learn about the Yamas and Niyamas, the ethical practices that constitute the first two steps of Patañjali's Ashtanga Yoga system. Precepts such as nonviolence, truthfulness, and contentment will be explored through practice, readings, and discussion. By deepening awareness of the philosophical underpinnings of these thaditional practices, participants will gain an appreciation of their application in contemporary society.

Prerequisite: Yoga Sutras of Patañjali course or equivalent study.

Carol Rossi (M.A. in Dance, UCLA; M.A. in Applied Experimental Psychology, CSU Northridge), teaches Yoga in the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance at LMU and Santa Monica College as well as privately. Her practice and teaching include attention to all aspects of Yoga: postures, breathing, meditation, philosophy, and lifestyle practices. She is the Coordinator of the Yoga Philosophy Program.

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Mirabai: Hindu Saint for a Global World (conference)
RELX 990 (1 unit, 10 hours, $150)

Thursday, October 3 through Sunday, October 6
This conference is sponsored by the Global Ethics and Religion Forum.
All events will be held at either UCLA or the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.  A detailed program is available at
http://www.gerforum.org.

The Mirabai conference takes place at UCLA on Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5. tudents will be expected to attend the conference and coordinate with Dr. Martin to receive credit for this course. In addition to the conference, performances and other events will be offered Thursday, October 3 through Sunday, October 6. Students enrolled in the Mirabai course are welcome to also attend these events, but they are not included in the course/conference tuition."

Mirabai, a sixteenth century saint of India, has provided a model for women's religious life in India. Moved by intense devotion to Krishna, Mirabai rebelled against the strictures of Hindu society and developed a new tradition of worship that continues through her songs and stories about her life. This course will include musical performances by folk singers from India, a dance perfomance by Mallika Sarabhai, a private tour of the Indian art collection at the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art, and presentations by twenty international scholars. Additionally, Bombay film director Anjali Panjabi, will screen and discuss her new award-winning documentary on the living traditions of Mirabai for the first time outside of India.

Dr. Nancy M. Martin (Ph.D., GTU, Berkeley), is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Chapman University. She is the author of Mirabai (Oxford University Press) and several other scholarly works on Hindu devotionalism. She has spent extensive time in Rajasthan, India. She is Associate Director of the Global Ethics and Religion Forum.
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Yoga of Sound

The kirtan and workshop are open to all. No prior experience with chanting or Indian music is required. This is a non-credit special event.

Kirtan
RELX 986.01 (Cost: $20)

Saturday, September 14, 8:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Location: Maha Yoga, 13050 San Vicente Boulevard, Brentwood

Kirtan is chanting the name of the Divine. Using a call and response format, practitioners chant in the sacred language of Sanskrit accompanied by Indian instruments. Chanting Sanskrit Mantras transforms and awakens one to higher states of consciousness by the very nature and power of the sounds.
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Workshop
RELX 986.02 (Cost: $40)

Sunday, September 15, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Center for Yoga, 230 1/2 Larchmont Blvd, Los Angeles

Explore Nada Yoga, the Yoga of sound, in the ancient Dhrupad style of Hindustani classical music. Learn specific body movements and vocal techniques to open up the natural voice and develop awareness of the breath and body to elevate the innate healing potential. Learn practices that open the physical and the subtle energy bodies to bring increased expressive capacity, integration and balance. Learn different modes of music (ragas) to harmonize the emotional body and access the sacred within.

Shanti Shivani is one of the few Western pioneers bringing the sacred traditions of Nada Yoga and Dhrupad to the West. She has been the disciple of the esteemed Dagar family, masters of Dhrupad, since 1981 and has also been studying different movement disciplines and sound healing with renowned European and American teachers. She has been leading workshops internationally since 1986 and performing and recording since 1990.
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