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.
Join us online on December 12 for a nourishing mixture of chanting and discussion to help us prepare for hibernation. With winter on the horizon, we will reflect on how to sustain ourselves with a balance of strength and ease. The Yoga Sutra says a posture should be sthira and sukha – steady and comfortable. We will explore what this stability means and how we can develop it in times of uncertainty. We will also consider how to use this support to find happiness and peace as we move toward the end of a challenging year, looking forward to a new one with inner contentment.
The Bhagavad Gita shows how to be calm in the midst of adversity. Its insights are particularly relevant to this year’s challenges. The text teaches yoga as a bridge between the self and the world as a whole, inspiring action with the aim of serving others. Each of its methods develops understanding of interconnection, encouraging detachment from personal gain. Exploring it together, we’ll discuss its main themes, and ways to put them into practice. Whether you’re reading it for the first time or the hundredth, the Gita is a timeless source of inspiration.
Join us online for an immersive and practical workshop. Sanskrit texts were traditionally taught through oral transmission. It was thought that through chanting and memorization, knowledge seeped into one’s consciousness on a level beyond the literal meaning of the words. There is a specific method to how verses are structured and categorized and this affects the intonation. Through both discussion and practice, we will explore how meter works, focusing on proper pronunciation and its effects. We will also look at some of the philosophy that verses convey.
What exactly is dharma? This complex word has a wide range of meanings, from the basis of natural order to social duties. Join us for an online retreat (August 22–23) to explore its implications in times of upheaval, with a focus on finding our purpose by acting with virtue. We will consider how to determine what is true, when it is right to resist injustice and by what means, and which underlying principles shape ethical conduct. There will be a mixture of study, discussion and practice, reflecting on how ancient teachings apply to modern challenges.
As we look forward to emerging from isolation, this weekend immersion (May 23-24) explores how yoga philosophy and Sanskrit can help us to nurture collective consciousness. We’ll be reading and chanting from texts, and discussing their practical relevance in challenging times. As taught in the Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Sutra, an important goal of yoga is to alleviate suffering. We will consider this in two different ways that are ultimately one: taking care of the self and the world as a whole. Newcomers to Sanskrit welcome!
Building on a recent book club — which read Roots of Yoga — we’ll be meeting on Sundays (from May 3 at 5:00 PM, UK time) to talk about themes from traditional texts with a practical focus. Each chapter in Roots of Yoga draws on multiple extracts to show how an aspect of practice developed. These sessions will do something similar, exploring ideas from a range of texts — both ancient and modern. A selection of readings will be shared in advance, then we’ll discuss them together, reflecting on ways of applying what they teach.
These are challenging times. Some yogic texts say the ultimate state is isolation, but withdrawal from the world isn't everyone’s goal. To promote reconnection, I invite you to a forum for sharing ideas and inspiration. Each week, we'll begin with a reading from traditional texts, and talk about its relevance to how we live now. There'll be space to discuss how we feel, and a short meditation. All perspectives are welcome! Feel free to drop in, or to join us regularly. Tuesdays, 7:00 - 8:00 PM (UK). See inside for the Zoom link.
In the past 2,500 years, yoga has evolved from a way of transcending the world to a multi-billion-dollar industry. But where did it come from and what was it for? A Brief History of Yoga is a four-week course that puts practice in context, presenting an overview of how it developed. Accessible and fun, combined with academic depth, it explores common themes in yogic teachings, and their relevance today.
