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.

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.

General Information

Most courses provide 10 hours of instruction; others provide 20 hours of instruction. Students must complete 12 units (continuing education units) of study, including seven units of required course work, and five units of elective course work. Some requirements may be waived if you can demonstrate completion of course equivalents elsewhere.  Schedules and tuition are subject to change.  Additional fees may be incurred for books and materials.  Please check the Web site for updates.  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.

Core Course Requirements

Course requirements are listed below for the Certificate in Yoga Philosophy, 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).  Again, some requirements may be waived if you can demonstrate completion of course equivalents elsewhere.  Not all courses will offered the same semester.  View the course catalog for complete schedule.

Sanskrit I
Course Number: YGPX 800
This introduction is intended to provide students with a foundational understanding of the legacy and unique qualities of the Sanskrit language and to serve as an effective springboard for those who wish to embark on Sanskrit translation efforts. The emphasis of the first weekend is on the sound system of Sanskrit and the traditional Indian writing system known as Devanagari. Basic principles of proper pronunciation will be demonstrated by directing attention to many Sanskrit technical terms used in yoga and meditation traditions, including the names of yogic asanas and the chanting of select mantras and seed syllables. During the second weekend, students will be broadly introduced to the essential linguistic elements required for translation work, including the rules of sandhi or “euphonic combination” and the basic grammatical principles underlying the conjugation of verbs and the declension of nouns. Serious students may proceed to Sanskrit II.

Yoga Sutra of Patanjali
Course Number: YGPX 816
The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali is perhaps the seminal work on the meaning and purpose of Yoga, exploring movements, breathing, meditation and liberation. In this line-by-line study we will explore and chant the Sanskrit text in the original and in translation.

Samkhya Karika
Course Number: YGPX 817
The Samkhya Karika by Ishvarakrishna is the root text of the Samkhya system, which is regarded as one of the six darshanas or foundational perspectives of orthodox Hindu thought. Consisting of only seventy-five aphorisms, the Samkhya Karika outlines a basic metaphysical perspective that informs some of the core teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, and the traditions of hatha yoga, tantra, and Kashmir Shaivism. In this five-week course, we will thoroughly examine the concepts of purusha and prakriti, the three gunas, and the other twenty tattvas or metaphysical principles outlined by the system. Students will gain an enhanced understanding of the concept of moksha or spiritual liberation as understood in the Indic contemplative traditions.  

Upanishads
Course Number: YGPX 818
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
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.

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INSTRUCTORS

Laura Amazzone, MA is a Fulbright scholar who completed her Masters degree in Philosophy and Religion, with emphasis in Women's Spirituality and Asian Comparative Studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies in 2001. Laura's work focuses on the myths and rituals of the Shakta Tantra tradition and goddesses in India and Nepal . Laura is presently completing a spiritual memoir and cultural account on the Goddess Durga in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal that will be published with University Press of America in late fall 2009. She is also working on a documentary film based on her research on Durga and life experience.

John Casey, PhD has his doctorate in Asian and Comparative Philosophy and was one of the original co-founders of the Yoga Philosophy Certificate Program at LMU. Over the years, Dr. Casey has taught over 100 courses in Sanskrit, Buddhism and World Religions for various colleges in Southern California including Loyola Marymount University, UCLA, UC Irvine, CSU Long Beach and Soka University as well as at Yoga Works in their 200-hour and 500-hour teacher training programs.

Christopher Key Chapple, PhD 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). 

Jay Kumar, PhD received his PhD in Asian Philosophy and Religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies and his MA in International Affairs from Columbia University. He has also conducted advanced graduate work in Vedic Sanskrit and linguistics at both UCLA and Georgetown. His areas of research encompass Yoga philosophy, mind-body medicine, and the neurobiology of spiritual experiences. Jay is also a certified Yoga and meditation instructor, motivational speaker, writer, and host of the weekly national radio show “AWAKE with Dr. Jay Kumar!”  He recently co-founded the Holospheria Project, a global multi-media organization dedicated to helping people and the planet awaken to the emerging paradigm of empowered wholeness. To learn more please visit www.drjaykumar.com.