What is this course about?This course deepens your understanding of what Yoga is and how it can transform you. It begins with the origins of Yoga in prehistoric times, how the ancient Yogis had a powerful vision for what life is and how to lead a fulfilling, joyous life and achieve perennial peace of mind. The course helps you realize that Yoga is not something one practices for an hour or two in a studio but about discovering the purpose of one’s life and living it. Yoga is how one lives one’s life. It is about allowing the inner light to shine brightly andilluminate one’s life. The evolution of Yoga is traced from prehistoric to modern times in this course. The narrative is an interesting mix of historical facts, nuggets of philosophy and symbolic Yogic tales. Why should I take this course?The course challenges many common and deep-routed misconceptions about Yoga and induces many a ha moments. It explores issues such as how old is the Yogic tradition, is Yoga Hindu religion in disguise, why so many different interpretations of Yogic texts exist and where is Yoga going in the modern world. Participants also get glimpses of some of the ancient texts of India such as the Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata and BhagavadGita. This course introduces many Yogis of ancient as well as modern times. It discusses the influence the West has had on how Yoga is perceived and also includes a section on how Yoga influences western thinkers as well as scientists. It is very interesting to note how Yoga is bringing men and women of all backgrounds together in the spirit of one global family. Who is this course for?This course will benefit Yoga practitioners, teachers, enthusiasts and academics as well as anyone interested in deepening their understanding of Yoga. What will I get upon completion of the course?Upon completion, course participants will have clear knowledge of the philosophical and historical roots and evolution of Yoga and how Yoga is a science of self-transformation. Ram Vakkalanka is an RYT500 and E-RYT 200 - a Yoga teacher registered with the Yoga Alliance. This course qualifies for six non-contact hours of RYT continuing education credit.
