Course Description
Looking to deepen your understanding of yoga beyond āsana? Curious about Classical Yoga philosophy? What is the Yogasūtra, and who was its author Patañjali? Why is the Yogasūtra often hailed as the “Bible” of yoga? Where does Aṣṭāṅgayoga come from? And how does the Yogasūtra relate (or not) to contemporary postural yoga practice?
Join Dr. Seth Powell for an exciting 22-hour online course that will provide you with an in-depth immersion into the history, philosophy, and practice of the Yogasūtra. Through video lectures, Q&A sessions, slides, PDF handouts, quizzes, and optional readings, together we will immerse into a close and thorough study of one of yoga’s most ancient, important, and mis-understood scriptures.
All enrolled students will immediately receive a digital copy (PDF) of Seth Powell's new Sanskrit-English translation of the Yogasūtra of Patañjali. This will be the primary text we will use for the course, and it is yours upon signup.
This translation aims to capture the simplicity and rigor of the original Sanskrit, yet rendered into accessible and readable English. By paying very close attention to the historical and philosophical context, and with a close eye to the earliest layer of commentary (bhāṣya), this translation provides readers with a reliable and accessible translation of the foundational treatise on Yoga philosophy.
The Yogasūtra of Patañjali, written some 1,500 years ago, is the earliest extant systematization of Yoga philosophy and practice. Rendered into 195 short, dense, Sanskrit aphorisms or “sūtras,” the YS is the root text for the Yoga philosophical tradition (darśana). It is a profound treatise on the nature of the human condition—the mechanics and layers of the mind-body, the cause of human suffering, and an outline or map of psychophysical practices that can be cultivated in order to obtain complete freedom.
Today the YS has reached a height and importance it had perhaps never known in premodern India, as it has beome the scriptural authority and source text for modern postural yoga. Regularly assigned in Yoga Teacher Training programs around the globe, translated into dozens of languages, it is often hailed as the “Bible” of yoga, and the definitive guide for yoga practice. But as we will learn in this course, the YS says very little about āsana or postural yoga. Rather than a treatise on physical or postural yoga, the YS is a philosophically rich exposition on meditation and deepened states of concentration. It speaks of the the ability for the aspiring yogi to cultivate discriminative discernment (viveka)—to distinguish between the real and the unreal—ultimately, to perceive reality clearly, and to know and rest in one’s true nature (svarūpa) completely.
In this online course, Seth will offer in a personable and truly accessible manner an opportunity to explore the YS deeply within its own historical context—drawing upon the latest advances in critical yoga studies.
Historical & Philosophical Context
A unique aspect of this course is that we will be giving close attention to the Bhāṣya, the earliest layer of Sanskrit commentary (in English translation, don’t worry!). This will allow the rich philosophical context and meaning of the YS to be illumined more fully, especially where the Sūtras say so little.
Once we have a more solid understanding of the YS within its own historical time and place, we will be in a much better position as modern practitioners, teachers, and human beings living in the 21st century to ask what the YS means for us today, and what we might gain through its deep and careful study.
Modules
Module 1 — An Introduction to the Yogasūtra: History, Context, and Approach
Module 2 —Stilling the Turnings of the Mind (YS 1.1-1.22)
Module 3 — Techniques for Calming the Mind (YS 1.23-1.51)
Module 4 — The Yoga of Action and the Cause of Suffering (YS 2.1-27)
Module 5 — Aṣṭāṅgayoga Part 1: Yamas and Niyamas (YS 2.28-45)
Module 6 — Aṣṭāṅgayoga Part 2: Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Pratyāhāra, Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna, Samādhi (YS 2.46-3.8)
Module 7 — Yogic Powers and the Isolation of Pure Consciousness (YS 3.9-4.34)
Students Will Receive:
- 7 Pre-recorded Video + Audio lectures (90 min)
- 7 Pre-recorded Q&A sessions (90 min)
- 5 ACP Credits
- 22 Hours of CE credit with YA
- Seth's original Sanskrit-English translation of the Yogasūtra (PDF)
- Course Syllabus (PDF)
- Weekly Readings (PDF)
- Bibliography and recommendations for further study
- Yogic Studies Certificate (PDF)
- Access to the private Community Forum
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 Śivayogapradīpikā—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 is eligible for 22 hours of Continued Education (CE) credits with Yoga Alliance
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