The Bhagavadgītā or ‘Song of the Lord’ is a touchstone text for yoga practitioners and students of Indian religions more broadly. The Bhagavadgītā was the first book that one of my Ashtanga teacher recommended I read when I started to practice with him over 20 years ago. I read on the London tube home from practice and back to the shala the next day. I was perplexed and asked my teacher how could this be about yoga when it was about war?

In the story, Arjuna, an esteemed warrior, is caught between opposing duties and cannot see how he should act in the face of his dilemma. The god Kṛṣṇa offers layered teachings on wisdom (jñānayoga), duty (karmayoga) and devotion (bhaktiyoga) to the dejected warrior. Composed in the early first millennium, this text has been interpreted and re-interpreted, including being used to promote violence and non-violence in turn. This workshop will present the key teachings of the Bhagavadgītā as they relate to yoga and the practice of yoga, and contextualise the text within its reception history.

Can you join?

The sessions are open to all. No previous knowledge of yoga history and philosophy is required. The course is intended for all curious practitioners, teachers or researchers, from those new to the study of yoga to the seasoned student. In the course we will set set out key concepts and also dive deep into critical analyses.

Course delivery

The course is delivered live online over four weeks through zoom. If you cannot join all of the sessions you are still welcome to participate. The sessions will be recorded and available for registered participants to review for 30 days after the sessions. The live sessions are complemented with introductory recorded lectures of between 10 and 30 minutes. Slides and further readings are made available after the live sessions. The recordings are not downloadable and will not be for sale after the live iteration of the course.

Pay what you can afford

Please pay what you can afford for this course based on your personal circumstances so that the course is accessible for all regardless of income or where you are in the world. As a guide, similar courses in the UK are priced around £80 to £120 - but less or more might be right for you. Enrolments are capped at 20 people to ensure everyone can talk and be heard.