YS 101 | An Introduction to the History and Philosophy of Yoga

Available for Self-Study

ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

Course Description

Curious about the historical roots of yoga? Want to know more about the philosophical and spiritual underpinnings of physical yoga practice? Wonder how old all those yogic postures really are? And what does the Yogasƫtra have to do with sun salutations and vinyāsa flow, anyways?

Join Dr. Seth Powell, founder of Yogic Studies, for an exciting 18-hour online course that will provide you with an in-depth introduction to yoga’s multifaceted history and philosophy. Through video lectures, slides, PDF handouts, quizzes, and optional readings, together we will journey from yoga’s shrouded origins as an ascetic tradition in ancient India, to the emergence of postural yoga in the West and around the globe—a journey that takes us from the periphery of premodern Indian civilization to the center of modern American health and wellness.

As the global popularity of yoga has skyrocketed in recent years—with over 30 million practitioners in the U.S. alone—so too, the past decade has witnessed a renaissance in the academic study of yoga.

In this online format, Dr. Powell offers in a personable and truly accessible manner, an overview of the latest and most exciting research in yoga studies—illuminating yoga’s past and present. Along the way, we will debunk common misperceptions about yoga’s antiquity and uncover the incredible ways yoga has changed, innovated, and been adopted by millions of practitioners over the past 2,500+ years!

Course Introduction

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Course Modules

Module 1 — What is Yoga? An Introduction to Yoga Studies 

Module 2 — Forest Ascetics and Sages: The Early History of Yoga

Module 3 — Stilling the Body, Stilling the Mind: The YogasĆ«tra of Patañjali

Module 4 — The Song of the Lord: The Bhagavad Gītā and the Yoga of Devotion

Module 5 — The Yoga of Force: Tantra and Medieval Haáč­hayoga

Module 6 — Yoga in the Modern World: The Rise of Modern Postural Yoga

Topics covered in this course include:

  • How old is yoga? Is yoga really a 5,000 year-old tradition?
  • Examining the sources and methods for constructing yoga’s ancient past
  • Understanding the various meanings of the word yoga, and tracking the ways it has changed throughout history
  • The relationship between early Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, and Yoga
  • Understanding the philosophy of the YogasĆ«tra and its relation to later yoga traditions
  • Bhaktiyoga and the Bhagavad GÄ«tā
  • Yoga philology and the threatened loss of Sanskrit palm-leaf manuscripts
  • Taking stock of the major and minor texts of yoga
  • Exciting new research on the roots of medieval Haáč­hayoga (“the yoga of force”)
  • How Tantra and Haáč­hayoga are interrelated
  • The "yogic body": prāáč‡a, nāឍīs, cakras, and Kuáč‡ážalinÄ«
  • The history and chronology of yogic postures (āsana)
  • New visual and material evidence of the history of physical yoga
  • Tracing the birth of modern postural yoga
  • Assessing yoga’s rising global popularity
  • Yoga and religion
  • Contemporary yoga, politics, consumerism, and cultural appropriation
  • The “pizza effect” of yoga

Students Will Receive: 

  • 6 Pre-recorded Video + Audio lectures (90 min)
  • 6 Pre-recorded Q&A sessions (90 min)
  • 4 ACP Credits
  • 18 Hours of CE credit with YA
  • Course Syllabus (PDF)
  • Weekly Readings (PDF)
  • 10 Early Definitions of Yoga from Sanskrit Source Texts (PDF)
  • 4 Multiple Choice Quizzes
  • Yogic Studies Certificate (PDF)
  • Access to the private Community Forum

Course Preview

Preview the first 32 minutes from the first lecture.

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Dr. Seth Powell

Founder and Director, Yogic Studies

Seth Powell is a scholar of Indian religions, Sanskrit, and yoga traditions, who earned his PhD in South Asian Religions at Harvard University. His dissertation comprised a critical edition, translation, and detailed study of a 15th-century Sanskrit yoga text from south India known as the ƚivayogapradÄ«pikā—which uniquely combines yoga, ritual, and devotion. He also works extensively on the visual and material culture of yoga in premodern India, uncovering yoga's past through temple sculptures.

As an educator, Seth is passionate about sharing the latest academic research on yoga's vast history and philosophies and is gifted in his ability to present the ancient teachings of yoga clearly in an accessible, light-hearted, and inspiring manner—while maintaining a rigor and sensitivity to traditional Indian knowledge systems.

Seth founded Yogic Studies in 2018 and serves as the Director and Head Faculty. He is also the host of The Yogic Studies Podcast. 

"This course should become a requirement for yoga teacher trainings! Seth's teaching style and his availability, the quality of the materials, the proximity to valuable ongoing research all give the student the best synthesized and non-dogmatic information available today. I felt privileged to be part of his virtual classroom and blessed to have access to these teachings from my little village in the south of France."

— Danielle Nolles
ERYT 200

"This is a brilliant introductory course to Yoga philosophy and history. I haven't found anything equal in Germany, so I tried Seth's classes and can highly recommend them. In-depth studies and easy-to-understand lectures, even if English is not your native language. This was my fear: that I wouldn't understand everything because of the language barrier, but this wasn't the case. Not at all. It is brilliantly presented."

— Monika Caparelli-Hippert
Yoga Teacher, Oberursel, Germany

"I cannot recommend Seth's course highly enough. He is a passionate, personable, and knowledgeable lecturer who is inspired by continued learning. He has the ability to present the complexity of the material in a clear and accessible manner and is always willing to answer questions mindfully. I looked forward to each week's release with anticipation. I felt very much part of a global community all wanting to learn and to grow through curiosity. All the while I was able to do this from my home so it was not disruptive to (family) life. I look forward to continuing my studies with him."

— Kylie Lee
Australia

"As a yoga teacher I have always wanted to deepen my knowledge of the philosophy and history of yoga. I found it a bit difficult for yoga teachers to fulfill this desire outside the academic field. Seth's teachings undoubtedly cover this shortcoming, by offering high quality teachings, with a rigorous and academic standard, providing extensive information on yoga research as well as an up to date bibliography. The lectures, although challenging, are structured in a pleasurable way. The live sessions allow for participation and an enriching exchange of ideas with people all over the world, helping to build a bond in a common search. Seth is not only an excellent academic but one can also feel that he is a yoga practitioner and a sincere seeker, as well as a committed teacher, which adds a significant perspective to the course."

— Carmen LĂ©on
Yoga Teacher, Spain

"I enjoyed this course so much. It was the first time that I took an online course and I was a bit skeptical, but I have to admit that the connection with the teacher and with his teachings has been very strong, like other live classes. Maybe even stronger, because Seth pays attention to everyone very carefully, for every doubt or question. The level of the teaching is very high, in accordance with the most recent studies. Thank you."

— Barbara Barbieri
Yoga Teacher of 15 years, Rome

Enrollment is OPEN for Self-Study

Regular Tuition

$175

One-Time Payment

  • Lifetime access to YS 101
ENROLL

Regular Tuition

$88 x 2

Two Monthly Payments

  • Lifetime access to YS 101
ENROLL

Membership Program

$75/m

Monthly Subscription

  • Access to YS 101

  • Access to all YS + BS courses—including live and future courses 

  • Access to SKT 100a + SKT 100b

ENROLL

This course is eligible for 18 hours of Continued Education (CE) credits with Yoga Alliance

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