Join me online (Apr 29 – May 26) to get immersed in the Upanishads, exploring foundations of yoga philosophy as well as the earliest frameworks for practice. This engaging course relates timeless wisdom to modern priorities. Over four modules, we'll cover a selection of early Upanishads, tracing key themes in a series of videos. We’ll also look at links between the Vedas and Upanishads, as well as their influence on later traditions. Each module combines live discussion with pre-recorded lectures. You can also ask questions at any time via the course website.
Join me for an online immersion in the Hatha Pradipika (16 hours of teaching, study on demand). The course explores connections between modern yoga and early traditions of physical practice, in which postures are merely a warm-up for subtler techniques. These steady the mind by raising various forms of energy. Over four modules, we’ll read the whole text, as well as looking at others that sparked its ideas. The format is clear and engaging, including recordings of live Q&As and video lectures using slides and other visual aids. Sign up now to start today!
Become your own guru of yoga philosophy! Join me online for a 30-hour course on putting philosophy into practice. Together, we'll explore the connections between modern yoga and earlier approaches – and in the process develop our own. Whether or not you're a teacher, the course will help you feel clearer about why you do what you do, and how that relates to traditional teachings. The overall aim is to find your own way – and to express it yourself in a final project. See this video for a taste of what to expect. The course runs from February 1 to March 16, 2024.
Join me in Wales, near the border with England, for a practical discussion of philosophy and history (Sat., Jan. 27, 1:00 - 4:00 pm). It's often said that yoga is timeless, but methods and objectives have changed a great deal since the earliest descriptions. So, what if yoga didn't always mean union, wasn't really a practice, and sequences of postures were recent inventions? This talk draws on the latest research to explore some common misconceptions about yoga history and philosophy. There will be plenty of time to ask questions about any topic.
Free online talk with Q&A – recorded on Tuesday, September 19, at 7:00 PM (UK time). What links yoga with dharma? Are they sometimes at odds? The simplest translation of dharma is “doing the right thing”, which according to the dictionary covers anything from law to religion – along with ethical values and social roles. What are the implications for yoga practitioners? Do traditional ideas reflect modern priorities? How might each shape the other? Since dharma is not always prominent in globalised yoga, it helps to reflect on what’s lost in the process.
Join me to explore why we still study the Yoga Sutra. Unlike most classes today, Patanjali's text doesn't teach sequenced postures, and its goal involves renouncing the world. So why is it so influential? This free talk with online Q&A presents some suggestions – with particular focus on asana. It was recorded on May 23, and is now archived on YouTube. If you’d like to dive deep into the Yoga Sutra, join me for an online course at truthofyoga.com. It runs live from June 5 to July 2 (2023), and will later be available on demand.
How far can yoga be stretched before becoming else? Join me on Sundays in March for a four-week immersion in contemporary history. Together, we’ll explore (among other topics): how postures came to predominate; when the goal became health and wellness; why all approaches to yoga get merged into “union”; what it means to be authentic in the 21st century. As a result, we’ll build a bridge between the past and the future, charting ways to stay connected to tradition while continuing to innovate. The course runs live via Embodied Philosophy. Find out more here.
This course is a comprehensive guide to contemporary yoga and its origins. Whether you’re a teacher, a curious practitioner or just interested in history, it’s an overview of all the most important themes with lots of fascinating details. We explore where postures come from, the role of female practitioners and other topics from politics to science. The course runs for almost two months, and it’s available to study on-demand, with an online forum for asking questions at any time. There are also some live Q&As on Zoom. You can find out more and sign up here.
Join me for the replay of a free online talk that explores misconceptions about early yoga. It’s often said that yoga is timeless, and in some ways, it might be – at least in terms of conscious presence. However, methods and objectives have changed a great deal since the earliest descriptions. As we'll see, a few common ideas have been turned upside down. The talk was recorded on Wednesday, October 26, 2022. It lasted one hour, including Q&A. You’re still welcome to ask about anything, ancient or modern – just contact me here.
Join me on Sunday, October 30 (2:00 pm UK time) for an engaging guide to the main ideas that have influenced yoga over the centuries. Drawing on examples from traditional texts, and discussing them together, we’ll explore how philosophy relates to our practice and everyday lives. We’ll also reflect on changes in the meaning of yoga as it’s evolved. Everyone is welcome – no prior knowledge is needed, and those with more experience may appreciate the chance to ask questions and clarify thoughts. You can attend in person or online, and recordings are available.
Join me to explore the evolution of physical practice. Yoga today is widely seen as sequenced postures. But when did it start to be taught this way and why? What came before? This free talk (recorded on Thursday, March 10, 2022) presents a brief history of hatha yoga, discussing the context in which it emerged and how it relates to contemporary practice. It lasts one hour, including questions – and you're welcome to ask follow-ups here. The recording is also on YouTube. For a deeper exploration, try this course on the Hatha Pradipika.
Join me for an hour-long talk on the Bhagavad Gita’s innovations (recorded on Wednesday, October 27, 2021). Unlike other early yogic texts, which promote renunciation, the Gita’s focus is worldly activity. It combines the philosophy of earlier Upanishads with devotional religion, providing seeds of inspiration for the later evolution of physical yoga. The talk was hosted online by Yoga Alliance, and accessible to anyone. The recording is also on YouTube. For a deeper exploration of the Gita’s ideas, an online course is available here.
Here’s the recording of a recent talk about pranayama. It was streamed online (on Tuesday, July 6) and includes Q&A. Here’s a brief introduction: “For much of the history of yoga, control of the breath was the main technique of physical practice. This talk will explore its development – from ascetic and Vedic origins to complex tools for transforming the body and dissolving the mind.” The event was hosted by Yoga Alliance, and was open to non-members. A recording is also archived at yourya.org/events, with a PDF of quotes used in slides.
Join me online for a 12-hour course to accompany my book, The Truth of Yoga. It's an overview of yoga's evolution in four modules, from the earliest history to modern debates about authenticity. The format combines group discussion with video lectures, and the style is engaging without oversimplifying. If you've ever felt confused about yoga philosophy, this course is for you. And even if you've studied for years, you'll still find something new – an accessible guide to the latest research, and a comprehensive overview of how today's yoga relates to the past.
The Truth of Yoga provides a clear and accessible overview of yoga’s evolution. The book’s concise and engaging chapters describe key themes that have influenced practices over the centuries. Accompanying online courses go a step further, diving deeply into yogic texts – such as the Yoga Sūtra and Bhagavad Gītā – to present what they teach in an interactive format. They‘re light-hearted and fun, and they offer a mixture of scholarly knowledge and traditional wisdom. You can find out more – and enrol today – at: http://truthofyoga.com
Join me for a series of online classes discussing Yoga Beyond Postures – hosted by the 92nd Street Y in New York. Today, the word "yoga" is often used as a synonym for physical contortions. Yet for most of its history, the practice was different. It involved sitting still and refining awareness, and its goal was to free us from suffering. Over three weekly sessions, we will explore what this means in accessible ways, examining insights from yoga philosophy, and investigating how to embody them. The course is inspired by my newly published book, The Truth of Yoga.
How do we interpret traditional texts in the twenty-first century? Priorities have changed since the earliest yogis renounced worldly life. Which teachings still speak to us clearly across the millennia, and how do they relate to the way we live now? This online workshop (Saturday, February 13) explores ideas from The Truth of Yoga, which is an accessible guide to the history of yoga, examining links between philosophy and practice. Drawing inspiration from ancient ideas, we will reflect on what it means to find freedom from suffering in everyday life.
It can feel daunting to study alone. We often have books that we’d like to explore, but don’t find time to sit and read. And even if we do, they might spark questions we struggle to answer. It helps to discuss ideas with someone else who offers structure and support. Whatever your priorities — from reading a text to a broader inquiry on how modern practice relates to tradition — we’ll focus clearly on your goals, devising a plan that helps achieve them. Online and in person (location permitting).
Daniel’s next online courses at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies start on April 21. They cover yoga philosophy, the roots of modern yoga, the Yoga Sutras and the Vedas and Upanishads. Each course includes video lectures, supplementary reading and online discussion forums – plus an optional written assignment with certification. The teaching lasts two months, plus an extra few weeks for the essay. Course materials are available for download, so you can revisit them at your convenience. See the links for more details.
This online workshop explores how yogic texts can provide inspiration in times of adversity. Although their goals involve withdrawal from worldly life, they also promote peace of mind and harmonious relationships. Drawing on traditional texts, we'll reflect on their meanings in practical ways and see how their teachings relate to our lives. Yoga began as a way to escape from the cycle of births, so we’ll consider how this differs from modern priorities and ask if ancient texts need reinterpreting. This will spark new ideas for putting philosophy into practice.
