Yoga philosophy, september-november 2024

Yoga is much more than headstands and forward bends. Yoga philosophy is a 2000 year old beast. During our philosophy evenings we'll try to tame it and make it work for us.

Our philosophy book is now available in english for the very first time, so this course will be in english for a change. Every other thursday evening we'll read through the book together and discuss what we read. The goal is to fully understand how we can accomplish enlightenment with yoga.

Please register with an e-mail, app or sms: info@yogauniversalis.nl / 06-41255770

Dates: 5 september, 19 september, 3 october, 17 october, 31 oktober, 28 november, 12 december.
Start: 19:30h
End: 22:00h
Location: Blekerstraat 3, Arnhem
Costs: 56 euro for these 7 classes. Add either 10 or 30 euro's if you still need either a digital copy, or a digital copy with A4 print.
Course length: about 15 months. (prolonged per 3 months)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE 10
INTRODUCION 13
Responsibility and change 16
Yoga practice is not political activism 18
An illusory identity 20
Ignorance and other afflictions 22
Preface to the exercises 24
1.1 NONVIOLENCE 26
Violence in the world 27
Violating our nature 28
Personal nonviolence 29
Personal nonviolence in action 30
Mental nonviolence in our daily lives 33
Finding the middle 34
A web of exercises 34
1.2 TRUTHFULNESS 36
Ignorance: an obstacle to all truth 36
Ego: an obstacle to finding the truth about ourselves 38
The human mind inhabiting reality 38
Acquiring information 39
Fundamental unknowns 40
Starting truthfulness on the yoga mat 42
Truthful and nonviolent thought and speech 44
Talking about imaginary objects and forces 47
Unverifiable claims 50
1.3 NON-STEALING 53
Possessions 54
Owning and stealing people 55
Stealing intangibles 56
1.4 APPROACHING THE ESSENTIAL 57
Yoga principles as a guide 58
Three paths of connection 59
Living like a monk 60
Living in a family 61
Living as a Casanova 62
Being alone and seeking good company 65
Leaving bad company 66
1.5 NON-HOARDING 68
Free hugs and other gifts 70
Summary of the first chapter 71
2.1 PURITY 72
Purity lies in the middle 72
Thinking pure and simple 74
The atman or soul 76
Realizing 'soul qualities' 78
2.2 CONTENTMENT 79
The absolute zero of expectation 79
2.3 DISCIPLINE 81
The one-sidedness of relaxation 83
2.4 SELF-STUDY 84
2.5 SURRENDER 86
Simplicity and complexity 86
Working in surrender 87
Gratitude 88
To start and persevere 89
3 ASANA 93
Achieving a nonviolent practice 96
Step three is often step one 99
The definition of asana 102
You are your body in the here and now 103
Expansion of consciousness 104
A uniform practice 106
Static or dynamic 107
Vinyasa 108
Group classes, personal practice and home practice 109
Frequency 110
Resting 111
Strength and flexibility 112
Practicing flexibility 114
Gathering strength 115
Achieving balance 116
Progress 117
Making mistakes 118
Not being special 120
Talent as an obstacle 121
A satisfying asana practice 121
Medical prejudices about yoga 122
Menstruation 123
Pregnancy 123
Asana as a seat 124
Our ‘layers', according to the yoga tradition 126
4 PRANAYAMA 127
Pranayama during yogasana 127
Relaxation 129
Volume is three-dimensional 129
The need for breath 132
Breathing slowly 133
The breath as an intermediary 133
Cultivating postures using your breath 135
Body locks 136
Nasal breathing and illness 137
Benefits of pranayama during asanas 138
Pranayama as preparation for meditation 138
The practice of dedicated pranayama 140
'Controlling our energy' 142
Unprovable statements about prana 143
5 PRATYAHARA 147
6 CONCENTRATION 149
Directing attention, experiencing connection and staying connected 150
A missing focus 151
Recognizing a problematic focus 152
The Past 152
Confronting the past 153
Putting the past to rest 154
The future 155
Focus on reality 155
Concentration on the body 158
Concentration on feelings 159
Concentration on a thought 161
Single-pointed focus on an actual object 162
Focusing on sound 164
Repeating a mantra 165
7 MEDITATION 168
8 INTEGRATION AND ENLIGHTENMENT 170
Identification and expectation 171
Identification with the absolute and its properties 172
The death of the ego personality and ignorance 173
Recognizing enlightened people and becoming one yourself 174
Transcending the opposites 175
Beyond time and space 179