Yoga & Vedanta Retreats

27th November – 7th December 2023

The word ‘philosophy’ derives from two Greek words, philein sophia, meaning “Love of Wisdom”. We can take it as the views held by someone who loves Wisdom.

A philosophy can cover concepts of how you decide what is “good”

and what is “bad”, what “success” means, what “failure” means etc.

On a higher plane, it can cover questions like, Who am I? What is the purpose of my life? Is there any purpose at all? What is the purpose of this creation? Is there a purpose at all? Is there God? Is there one God, or are there many? Is my God better than the Gods of others? And so on.

Almost everyone has asked themselves these questions – some have found answers and have been satisfied, some have found unsatisfactory answers, and some have not.

Ancient Indian thinkers (called Rishis) have pondered these issues, and their ideas form the core of the Indian scriptures. Though these Rishis are the medium through which the teaching has been made available to us, tradition has it that teaching is timeless and eternal, handed over to the Rishis directly by Lord himself. It is not a teaching that any one person propounded, and so the concept of a “founder “ of the philosophy is missing in Hinduism. The body of thought is not called a philosophy at all and is named “darshana”, a way of looking at yourself, the world and the creator.

Therefore most of the teaching focuses on the fundamental and universal problem among humans, the problem of sorrow and suffering.

An understanding of Indian spiritual thought found mainly in Bhagavad Geeta and the Upanishads involves the knowledge of many fundamental concepts. Unfortunately, these texts do not present these concepts systematically.

If you are interested in understanding the root of Hinduism (Sanatana Dharma), we invite you to join a ten-day workshop starting on 27th November 2023 and finishing on 7th December 2023 at Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram, Neyyar Dam, Kerala, India.

What you will learn.

• Classification of Hindu scriptures.
• Varna Dharma (societal roles) and Ashrama Dharma (stages of life).
• Purushartha Chatushtayam (the four goals of human life).
• An explanation of Moksha (liberation).
• The Sadhanas, disciplines required for Moksha, i.e. Karma Yoga, Upasana Yoga, Jnana Yoga.
• Qualities of a student, Sadhana Chatushtayam (fourfold inner disciplines).
• Qualities of a teacher.
• Analysis of Jiva (the individual)
• Sharira Trayam (the three bodies)
• Pancha Kosha (the five sheaths)
• Avastha Trayam (the three states of experience)
• Concept of Satyam (absolute truth) and Mithya (dependent reality).
• Study of creation.
• What is Atma?
• The three types and laws of Karma.

How you will benefit.

• Experience living and learning in a Gurukula (traditional school system).
• Derive deep intellectual satisfaction after obtaining answers to many of life’s questions.
• Reduce the violent emotional fluctuations of the mind.
• Reduce or even eliminate the desperate cravings for objects.
• Reduce dependency on the external world.
• Change your outlook about yourself and the world, and see how your behaviour, productivity and life transform!