Course Overview

Since his early days of teaching James Boag has sought to ensure, an holistic ‘yogic’ teaching method. An approach that appeals to and includes different learning styles, and which calls on and engages multiple learning intelligences. This comprehensive series draws from classical texts with emphasis on themes, language and definitions. It includes Sanskrit pronunciation and chanting practice. James then applies the philosophy bringing it to new life in a modern context.


Course Curriculum

    1. What is Yoga? Evenness and Skilfulness

    2. What is Yoga? What's in a word?

    3. What is Yoga? The Medistate

    4. Yoga and joining 1

    5. Yoga and joining 2

    6. Yoga and joining 3 - The Sāṅkhya-Yoga model of reality - introduction

    7. Yoga and joining 4 - The Sānkhya-Yoga model of reality - 5 great elements - the pañcamahābhūtāḥ

    8. Yoga and joining 5 - The Sāṅkhya model of reality - the tanmātrāḥ

    9. Yoga and joining 6 - The Sāṅkhya-Yoga model of reality - The Indriyāḥ

    10. Yoga and joining 7 The Sāṅkhya-Yoga model of reality - the antaḥ karaṇa

    11. Yoga and joining 8 - The Sāṅkhya-Yoga model of reality - gaṇeśa śaraṇam

    12. Where does yoga come from? 1 - Consciousness

    13. Where does yoga come from? 2 - India

    14. Where does yoga come from? 3 - Veda

    15. Where does yoga come from? 4 - Veda-s and Vedic Tradition

    16. Where does yoga come from 5? Yoga, the Veda, The Upaniṣad-s and the Gītā

    17. Indic Context - The Puruṣārthāḥ - the Aims of Life

    18. Vedic context - Two Upaniṣadic definitions of reality: saccidānanda and satya-ṛta-bṛhat

    1. Bhagavad Gītā - Introduction and opening verse

    1. Patañjali's Yoga Sūtra - Introduction and Overview

    2. Yoga Sūtra 1.1-1.3

    3. Yoga Sūtra 1.4-1.6

    4. Yoga Sūtra 1.7-1.11

    5. Yoga Sūtra 1.12-1.14

    6. Yoga Sūtra 1.15-16 Vairāgya

    7. Yoga Sūtra 1.17-18 Samprajñātaḥ and Asamprajñātaḥ samādhi

    8. YS1. 19-20 essential qualities for practice

    9. Yoga Sūtra 1.21-22

    10. Yoga Sūtra 1.23-28 īśvarapraṇidhāna

    11. Yoga Sūtra 1.29-31

    12. Yoga Sūtra 1.32-33

    13. Yoga Sūtra 1.33 The essential practice

    14. Yoga Sūtra 1.34-39

    15. Yoga Sūtra 1.40-51

    16. Yoga Sūtra 2.1

    17. Yoga Sūtra 2.2-9 The kleśa-s

    18. Yoga Sūtra 2.10-27 summary

    19. Yoga Sūtra 2. 28-32 aṣṭāṅga introduction and yama-niyama

    20. Yoga Sūtra 2 33-40 pratipakṣabhāvana

    21. Yoga Sūtra 2 46-48 āsana

    22. Yoga Sūtra 2.49-50

    23. Yoga Sūtra 2. 51-52

    24. Yoga Sūtra 2.53-55

    25. Yoga Sūtra Chapter 3. 1-3 dhāraṇa-dhyāna-samādhi

    1. Yoga Sūtra recitation

About this course

  • 45 lessons

The Philosophy of Yoga

An experiential journey

Yoga Philosophy James Boag

My practice and teaching are rooted in ‘classical’ yoga teachings of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra-s, the Bhagavad Gītā, and the Purāṇa-s/Indian Mythology. This is all also through the lens of what is sometimes referred to as the Yoga of Kashmir Shaivism, in the lineage of Abhinavagupta, as taught by Swami Lakshmanjoo last century.