Religious Life Programs
Yoga with Sri Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar is a yoga teacher from Chennai, India and a student of Desikachar, one of the most important yoga teachers in the world today. Desikachar is the son of Krishnamacharya, who is perhaps the most important yoga teacher of the last century. Together with his wife Sheela, Ravi Shankar administers the yoga school, Yoga Nidhi, and conducts yoga programs across India that are primarily breath-centric. Ravi will be offering classes at Denison throughout the 2008-2009 academic year.
| Class Schedule | |||||||||||
| Campus and Community | MTWRF 8:30-9:30am | Swasey Chapel (stage area) | |||||||||
| Campus and Community | MTWRF 11:30am-12:30pm | Swasey Chapel (stage area) | |||||||||
| Denison Campus Community | MWF 4:30-5:30pm | Slayter Union 409 (University Room) | |||||||||
A limited number of mats will be available on loan. Please bring your own if possible.
In these classes, the participants will be introduced to yoga and provided the opportunity to stay with the practice and, through the sustained practice, to move to a deeper, more intimate experience of the subtle power of the breath.
Two important areas will be integrated into the yoga classes offered:
Chanting of the Vedas
The Vedas constitute the body of knowledge from which has evolved the six classical systems of Indian philosophy. The Vedas are vast and so varied that from them have evolved: the philosophies that make up the Hindu religion; philosophies of logic, reason and analysis; a philosophy of evolution; and the philosophy of the 'hear and now', that of yoga.
Vedic chanting is a unique tradition of oral transmission of knowledge that has been in existence for thousands of years. From teacher to student, through the ages, the Vedas have been passed on orally, without deviating from the original manner of chant. Vedic chanting has been declared a world cultural heritage tradition by the UNESCO and is a way of establishing the link with the past and participating in a living tradition.
Study of the Yoga Sutra
The second area is the classical text on yoga. Consisting of 195 aphorisms, it is the smallest of the texts that comprise the six systems of Indian philosophy. The focus of the Yoga Sutra, from beginning to end, is the mind. And the sutras, aphorisms, deal with the states of mind, problems of the mind and the ways to avoid or overcome these problems, all the while having as their objective the end goal of yoga - the still and steady mind.
For more information please contact Ravi Shankar.
The breath is central to yoga and is the link to the mind which is the true goal of yoga.
To reduce the mind’s agitation and to relax it;
to control the mind and have it focused and attentive;
to sensitize the mind and have it responsive to different needs and situations;
and to quiet and even silence the mind and turn inward for a little while – all this is achieved through the correct use of the breath.
In addition, right breathing also stimulates the different systemic functions of the body and returns them to their normal, harmonious functioning.