Yoga History and Philosophy
12 Hours of Learning
For Yoga Enthusiasts
Learn from Home
Unlimited Course Access
12 Hours of Learning
For Yoga Enthusiasts
Learn from Home
Unlimited Course Access
JOURNEY BACK IN TIME TO THE ORIGINS OF YOGA
Join Doug Keller, scholar, author, yoga therapist, and former philosophy professor, for an eye-opening and liberating take on the richness of the yoga tradition.
This course offers you an opportunity to be a discerning explorer of yoga’s history. It’s for yoga teachers and students who want to better understand the context in which the teachings of yoga were birthed.
After introducing you to the central concerns of yoga’s early philosophical texts and the origins of some of the practices we do today, Doug will shed light on the intersection between Buddhism and yoga. Then, he’ll dive into the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutra, the essential teachings of Advaita Vedanta, Tantra, and the Hatha Yoga tradition itself. He’ll also share how yoga philosophy made its way to the West, its impact on Western thinkers of the 19th and 20th centuries, and the resulting influence on the perception of yoga in both the East and West today.
Plus, you’ll learn about different interpretations of yogic ideas commonly referenced in yoga teacher trainings, classes, and workshops, so you’ll come away with a solid understanding of how yoga has evolved over time.
The path inward affects the path outward, and the path outward in turn supports the journey inward.
— Doug Keller
COURSE PREVIEW
TEACHERS: GET 12 HOURS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION
Yoga Alliance requires all yoga teachers to accumulate at least 30 hours of continuing education every three years. 20 online hours are allowed to count toward this requirement.
Fulfilling 12 of these study hours is as easy as logging into the Yoga Alliance website and entering your hours after you've completed Yoga History and Philosophy. Continue your yoga education with this course and more from the Yoga International library!
COURSE OUTLINE
- Course Companion.
- Definitions Reference Guide.
- The Dawn of Yoga in the Ancient Texts.
- History of the Vedas.
- The Roots of Yoga in Vedic Brahmanism.
- The Path to the Upanishads.
- The Early Upanishads and the Vayus.
- The Later Upanishads and the Introduction of Yoga.
- Yoga As a State Versus A Practice.
- The Background of the Bhagavad Gita.
- Finding Dharma.
- The Story of the Bhagavad Gita.
- Krishna's Answer.
- Contemplation of the Bhagavad Gita.
- The Foundations in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.
- First Pada: Defining Yoga.
- Second Pada: On Practice.
- Eight Limbs of Yoga.
- Philosophy after Patanjali.
- What Is Tantra?
- Lineages of Hatha Yoga.
- The Natha Revolution.
- The Hatha Yoga Pradipika and Laya Yoga.
- Yoga Nidra and the Chakra System.
- How Yoga Moved Into the 20th Century
- A Modern Parable: “Breaking Bad” And The Bhagavad Gita.
- Final Test
TEACHERS
Doug Keller
Doug Keller has been teaching full time in classes, workshops, and trainings for 23 years worldwide, after 14 years of study and practice, and after completing a Master's degree in philosophy and teaching at a college level at Fordham University. His yoga journey includes practicing in Siddha Yoga ashrams, intensive training in the Iyengar and Anusara methods, and nearly a decade of teaching in the U.S. and abroad. His book Refining the Breath has been around for 20 years, presented as a simple and accessible entry into the practice of pranayama. Asana instruction, essays, and other enlightening information are available on his website.
