Yoga Philosophy
with Chase Bossart
Weekly, every Thursday
The Yoga Well Institute’s Yoga Philosophy courses study the sacred texts of yoga in a traditional manner. We read each line, word by word, translating from Sanskrit, reviewing the contexts, discussing the practical applications, answering questions, and sharing experiences. Led by an experienced teacher and enriched by the questions and observations of students in various stages of their personal path, these courses reveal Yoga as a path to be practiced on the mat and in daily life.
The material in the courses is cyclical. There is no starting point. Each person is invited to simply begin, without worrying about what they may or may not know. Each class starts with a review that orients the material in large and small contexts and roots current concepts in previous ones. There is time for discussion and inquiry, and experiences are shared. This traditional manner of ongoing exploration invites unusual depth and insight while also supporting the practical digestion and application of the teachings in your life and relationships. And it honors the oral tradition of wisdom passing down from one generation to the next.
We offers two opportunities to study ancient Yoga texts in this manner: Yoga Philosophy – Patanjali’s Yogasūtra and Yoga Philosophy – The Sacred Texts. Both are led by Chase Bossart, a long time personal student of Mr TKV Desikachar.
Enroll today, before the course starts and you will receive a free month of the Yoga Well Archive on Demand where you will find over 30 hours of archived Yoga Well courses covering a wide range of topics and practices.
As a subscription course your first payment will run July 6th, 2023 and your payments will continue for as long as you remain in the course.
Your Instructor
Chase Bossart
Executive Director of the Yoga Well Institute, Chase has been studying Yoga, Sanskrit, eastern philosophy, and religion for nearly 30 years.
In 1991, as part of a study abroad program in Chennai, India, Chase took a semester-long course on Yoga Theory with Mr. TKV Desikachar that essentially set the direction for the rest of his life. He became a private student of Mr. Desikachar, who was his mentor and teacher for 20+ years. During that time, he spent a total of four and a half years in Chennai studying with him, his family, and his senior teachers. He also had the opportunity to serve as a teacher at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram. From 2006-2012, he was the Director of Therapy and Education at the non-profit Healing Yoga Foundation in San Francisco.
His depth of knowledge on yoga and meditation is shared through practical, humorous anecdotes that translate to everyday life.
Yoga Philosophy – The Sacred Texts
Yoga Philosophy – The Sacred Texts explores foundational Yoga texts including the Bhagavad Gītā, Haṭha Yoga Pradīpika, Rāmāyaṇa and many others (but not Patañjali’s Yogasūtra). These texts form the backbone of the Yoga Tradition and present its teachings in different formats and emphases. Studying them not only broadens your understanding of what Yoga is and how to practice and experience it, but greatly deepens and enriches the concepts and principles with which you are already familiar.
Led by Chase Bossart this course begins with the Bhagavad Gītā, an essential text on Yoga and Spirituality. Within this text are beautiful and timely teachings on understanding our roles in life and how fulfilling those roles is the key to experiencing the divine in our everyday living.
Online Workshop
When: Thursdays 5:00pm PT/8pm ET
Duration: 60 minutes
What’s Included:
Weekly Course and Discussion
Class Recordings
Handouts
A Private Online Discussion Forum where participants can share and reflect with one another outside of class time.
Location: Student Portal.
Yoga Philosophy – Patañjali’s Yogasūtra
Yoga Philosophy – Patanjali’s Yogasūtra explores this essential Yoga text, translating its principles and practices into teachings to be applied in your life. Patañjali’s Yogasūtra is a blueprint that describes how to live a meaningful and satisfying life, including instructions for coming out of suffering and finding and following your life purpose(s).
In each class Chase Bossart will translate the sūtras, word by word, and provide context and meaning for what is being presented while guiding discussion towards individual personal insight. This course begins in Chapter 3 and will reference the entirety of the Yogasūtra throughout. No previous Yogasūtra study is required.
Online Workshop
When: Thursdays 6:15pm PT/9:15pm ET
Duration: 60 minutes
What’s Included:
Weekly Course and Discussion
Class Recordings
Handouts
A Private Online Discussion Forum where participants can share and reflect with one another outside of class time.
Location: Student Portal.