Lecture Topics and Yogic Theory

'The Heart of Tantra' is an integral system which draws from a variety of approaches to yoga. Some of the topics are universal and apply to all forms of yoga, including forms such as Chi Kung, some Buddhist practices, Shamanic practices and so forth; others are more specific to Indian Yoga.

There is a particular combination of yogic approaches that suits each individual, and where one person will resonate with a particular technique such as meditation, another person may prefer something quite different such as devotional singing or karma yoga.

I feel it is important that my students understand the rationale behind the yoga technologies that I teach, some of which could seem a little strange to the untrained eye, so I run courses that include theory as well as practice.

As all good yogis tell us:

'An ounce of practice is worth a tonne of theory.'

So with this in mind, each class will include only a little theory from the topics listed below, and focus mainly on practice.

The topics

• What is Yoga?
• Basic yogic principles: correspondence and resonance
• Polarity
• Chakras (the psychic centres of man)
• Indriya (the corresponding sense organs)
• Awareness, asana and pratyahara (sense withdrawal)
• The five bodies of man
• Hatha yoga, shatkarmas and purification techniques
• Karma and Karma yoga
• Music meditation
• The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali / Ashtanga
• The yamas and niyamas: Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, Aparigraha, Saucha, Santosa, Tapasya, Svadyaya, Isvara pranidhana
• Jnana yoga and the vrittis
• Pratipaksha bhavana
• Raja yoga
• What is tantra?
• Mantra, yantra and mandala
• Nidra yoga
• Samkya philosophy
• Tantra and kundalini
• Mantra yoga
• Japa yoga
• The kleshas
• Bhakti yoga
• The seven bhakti bhavas
• Ishta devata
• The swaras
• Prana

(Original text © Devamurti, preserved from the existing site.)