The Secret Yoga Institute

We will customize seminars and workshops on The Secret Yoga according to the needs and interests of particular groups and schools of practice. The Secret Yoga is at the heart of all Yoga and thus any session on it can be designed in consultation with us to accommodate teacher training or other learning contexts. Listed below are samples of seminars and workshops that have been offered at leading centers of Yoga, Yoga Journal Conferences, and even the Smithsonian Institution.

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Sessions | Seminars | Workshops

Yoga and Sanskrit | Sounding and Pronouncing

Feel the power of key Sanskrit words and terms, and the beauty of reciting famous Sanskrit verses and mantras. Learn how to read the English transliteration system for Sanskrit and feel the energy of Sanskrit poetry in your voice and in your heart. Includes chanting, meditation, study, and guided meditation.

Philosophical Foundations of Yoga

Acquire essential intellectual tools and a philosophical background for truly grasping the teachings of The Yoga Sutra and the Bhagavad Gita. What is the nature of ultimate reality? Is it all "One"? And what is the yogi's relationship to the supreme state of being? Come and find out. Includes study, chanting, meditation and guided meditation.

The Yoga Sutra | The Secret Yoga

Patanjali describes pure thought in yoga as "the brilliance of a jewel." What does that mean? He describes the "magic ointment" of yoga. What is this? Discover secret teachings that directly nourish your practice of yoga. Includes study, chanting, meditation, and guided meditation.

The Bhagavad Gita | The Secret Yoga

Go deep into the world of the Gita, and recognize the special power of yoga as an inner calling from within the heart. Discover what the Gita calls "the supreme secret of yoga" and the secrets of connecting intimately with the hearts of others and with all of life. Includes study, chanting, meditation, and guided meditation.

Suffering and Yoga | The Bhagavad Gita’s Yoga of Despair

Is there a place for suffering in yoga? We’ll explore what the Bhagavad Gita teaches about hurt and pain, and how it softens the heart, leading to samadhi in which one discovers the ultimate state of yoga within the innermost world of the heart. Includes meditation, asana, chanting, discussion, and guided meditations on the verses of the Gita.

Yoga Sutra and Bhagavad Gita | The True Meaning of Yoga

Come explore how the positioning of the body in asana relates to the positioning of the Self in the world. We’ll relate essential Sutra texts with key Gita verses, unearthing the great treasures of the understanding and true meaning of yoga from these sacred writings. Includes meditation, asana, chanting, discussion, and guided meditations on the verses of the Gita and Yoga Sutra.

Workshop on Chanting Bhajan and Kirtan

Experience the enchantment of chanting! The recitation and sounding of Sanskrit verses or mantras is a powerful tool for opening the heart and elevating the human spirit. This workshop will introduce simple Sanskrit chants in a step-by-step format using listening and response. Fluency and pronunciation of Sanskrit sounds will be emphasized with the goal of increasing your skill and confidence in developing your own practice of chanting. Use classic mantras and beautiful verses to inspire stability and calm, and learn the true sound and deep meaning of OM as a way to sanctify and create a sacred space for your asana and/or meditation practice. This workshop is perfect for yoga teachers who want to include chanting in their yoga classes or yoga students who want to add depth to their personal practice. Specially designed chanting worksheets will be provided and participants will chanting with traditional instruments as accompaniment.

The Secret Yoga Weekend Workshop

In this workshop you will discover and experience the timeless teachings of classical Yoga hidden within the flowing Sanskrit verses of the Bhagavad Gita. The "great secret," the "greater secret," and the "greatest secret of all" in Yoga are disclosed and further revealed here to enable you to take your practice and teaching of Yoga to a whole new level.

You will be drawn toward the innermost heart, where you will experience a profound sense of connecting with the hearts of others, as we dive deeply into the Gita verses, key portions of the Upanishads, the Yoga Sutra, and other sacred writings on Yoga.

You will walk away with a complete mapping of your journey into Yoga. For all levels, both seasoned and new practitioners. No prerequisites.

Session 1 | Mapping Your Journey into Yoga | A Divine Calling

Session 2 | Secrets of Krishna’s Teachings in the Gita

Session 3 | Signficance of OM | The Secret Yoga Meditation

Session 4 | Secrets of the Yoga Sutra Unveiled

Levels of Learning and Knowledge in The Secret Yoga

1 | Introductory | beginning knowledge and experiential

2 | Intensive | intermediate knowledge and experiential

3 | Advanced | comprehensive and in-depth knowledge and experiential

Levels of Presentations for The Secret Yoga

1. Introductory Session

A two, or three, or four hour presentation

2. Intensive Sessions

Six to eight hours consisting of two sessions in one or over two days

this could also be a weekend workshop spread over two or three days

3. Advanced Sessions

This presentation requires several or more sequential intensive presentations over a period of weeks or even months; this presentation format is required of RYT 500 training in The Secret Yoga.

Learning Dynamics in All Workshops of The Secret Yoga

Including talk, sharing and discussion, asana, meditation, svadhyaya (intensive sacred study) and guided meditative chanting

Sacred study is facilitated by:

-- Group contemplation

-- Intimate reflection and discussion

-- Guided meditation aided by sacred music

-- Recitation of Sanskrit verse

-- Pranayama and meditational practices

-- Mantra and chanting

-- Beautiful visuals

Sacred Sanskrit Writings Utilized in The Secret Yoga

Introductory