Yoga and Ecology (Green Yoga)
NEXT COHORT TO BE ANNOUNCED IN 2010.
The ancient practice and philosophy of Yoga is grounded in a profound understanding of the interconnection between ourselves and the natural world. Yoga developed in the context of a close relationship with the earth and cosmos, and a reverence for animals, plants, soil, water and air. The Green Yoga Certificate Program seeks to cultivate an appreciation for, and conscious connection with, the natural environments in which we live and also educate students on the deeply ecological, ethical principles which underlie Yoga philosophy, both through experiential workshops and Yoga philosophy classes. Designed for Yoga teachers and serious Yoga students, this certificate includes four courses: Green Yoga Sadhana, Earth Verses, Yogagaia, and Foundations of Yoga and Ecology plus the conference on Yoga, Animals, and Ecology.
General Information
Five requirements comprise the Certificate Program: four specialized courses and attendance of the Third Green Yoga Conference. Participants who fulfill all the requirements will receive a Certificate in Green Yoga. Specialized courses will meet continuously for a one-week intensive period. Participants who complete the Green Yoga certificate program will earn a total of 5.0 LMU Extension semester hours and a certificate of completion from Loyola Marymount University. Total tuition (including conference registration) is $750. Schedules and tuition are subject to change. Please check the website for updates.
Registration
To register for courses and the conference, please submit an enrollment form via direct mail, fax or contact LMU Extension at 310.338.1971 to handle your registration over the phone. Additionally, individual enrollment for each course and the conference is available online (see below), but with limited registration options. To learn more about the Third Green Yoga Conference, visit the conference website.
SCHEDULE
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 four courses and attend the Third Green Yoga Conference, which is held at the conclusion of the week. To accommodate participants traveling from outside of Southern California, two options are available for the Green Yoga Sadhana requirement.
Green Yoga Sadhana
Course Number: YGEX 802.01
This course will explore resources within the Yoga tradition for living a life in accord with ecological values. Readings will be provided from a variety of sources including the Rig Veda and the Atharva Veda. Practices will be assigned for cultivating a heightened sensitivity of the relationship between the mind, senses and elements. Based on your individual schedule and location, two option are available for equal credit:
Earth Verses: The Prthivi Sukta
Course Number: YGEX 803.01
The Vedas include a book about the earth as mother, providing nurture to all forms of life. The text, known as the Prthivi Sukta, is included in the Atharva Veda, the basis for traditional medical practice in India. These verses ask for protection and give praise to all the elements, urging people not to pollute the earth or water, and to respect and give honor to the sun and to the air. Though composed many years before our current ecological crisis, this book can inspire and enhance environmental awareness. This course counts toward the Yoga and Ecology Certificate Program or as Yoga Philosophy elective.
Gaia Yoga
Course Number: YGEX 807.01
Yogagaia is about connecting with our body and to our story - the story of the Universe. Through asanas, dance and meditations, we reawaken the memory of our Kosmic journey; Kosmos with a capital K includes matter, body, mind and spirit.
Foundations of Yoga and Ecology
Course Number: YGEX 806.01
The confluence of Yoga and ecology offers a profoundly relevant response to the current planetary challenges. This course will investigate the foundational principles, practices, and participatory applications which help one actualize Yoga as a path of communion between humanity and the living earth.
Third Green Yoga Conference: Yoga, Animals, Ecology View Site 
Schedule: Friday, May 29 - Sunday, May 31, 2009
Animals play an important role in the practice of Yoga. Many Yoga postures entail imitation of animals, evoking ancient shamanic practices. By placing one’s body and mind in the space of mammals, fish, reptiles and insects, one’s consciousness and sensitivity become attuned to the larger order of life forms. This expanded awareness of connectivity can serve a healing function, revealing the interrelated nature between humans and nonhuman animals. This conference will include several offerings of animal-inspired Yoga practice.
FACULTY
Christopher Key Chapple, Ph.D. is Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University, and has published 10 books on topics related to religions of India.
Gillian Comstock, M.A., Co-Director of Metta Earth Institute at the Center for Contemplative Ecology, is a holistic psychotherapist, human ecologist, and Yoga guide certified in Kripalu, Jivamukti, and Advanced Interdisciplinary Yoga. She has led Yoga retreats, quests and trainings in wilderness sanctuaries around the world. As a mother of three grown sons, Gillian has practiced Yoga and meditation for more than 35 years weaving together family, community and ecological sustainability with the contemplative path.
O.P. Dwivedi, Ph.D., LL.D. (Hon.) is University Professor Emeritus with the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, where he has taught since 1967. He has published 32 books and more than 115 articles in refereed journals and chapters in books. He is a past president of the Canadian Political Science Association, Ottawa, Canada; a former vice president of the International Association of the Schools and Institutes of Administration, Brussels, Belgium; and currently, President of the Canadian Asian Studies Association, Montreal, Canada. In 1999, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the highest scholarly recognition in Canada, and in 2005 he was appointed a member of the Order of Canada, the highest civilian national honor by the Government of Canada. He is a visiting professor with the Loyola Marymount University. For the Spring Semester of 2005 and 2006, he was appointed a senior research fellow with the University of South Florida, Tampa.
Jasmine Lieb began her love of Yoga at age 18 and has 30 years of teaching experience. She is a Hatha Yoga teacher and a Yoga therapist who is able to integrate therapeutics into her ongoing group Yoga classes at all levels. She is recommended by doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists and physical therapists throughout the U.S. for both individual Yoga therapy and a Hatha Yoga practice at all levels. Jasmine has practiced and studied extensively for more than 38 years and draws from all her life experiences and all her Yoga studies, which evolve from the original teachings of Krishnamacharya through TKV Desikachar, BKS Iyengar, K. Pattabhi Jois, Srivatsa Ramaswami, A.G. Mohan and the "first lady of Yoga," Indra Devi. For the last 17 years Jasmine has developed and teaches a popular state-funded program for seniors in Santa Monica, and she created and manages a semiprivate therapeutic clinic working to rehabilitate Yoga students who have physical, energetic and emotional challenges, through the practice of Yoga. Jasmine is a 56-year-old Brit with a 31-year-old marriage, a 23-year-old daughter, her family still in England, and her American family members in the northeastern U.S. She enjoys a "regular" life as a yogini living in Venice.
Agi Hasita Nadai is a Professional-Level Kripalu Yoga teacher, a biologist, geologist and deep ecologist. She created Yogagaia, the Yoga of Earth and Kosmic Consciousness.