Study the yoginīs & their chakras through an ancient yoga text…
LIVE starting May 28, 2024 | Recordings Available
Study an Ancient Text of Yoga and Engage Chakra Practices that Integrate Visualization, Mantra, Breath, and Posture
This 30-day practice offers the unique opportunity to . . .
. . . engage with the practices and principles of a 13th century śākta-yogic text
. . . become intimate with the seven yoginīs, their chakras, and the transformative energy of kuṇḍalinī-śakti
. . . empower your contemplative practice through visualization, mantra, mūdra, and metaphor
The original Tantric practices associated with the chakras are still largely unknown, mentioned within early yogic texts that have received very little study and attention. In this 30-Day Sādhanā, we will explore a tradition of chakra practice as found in an early haṭha yoga text called the Mastyendrasaṃhitā. In this text, we find a sophisticated technology of chakra meditation practice that uses visualization, mantra, breath, and posture to cultivate a contemplative experience of one’s intrinsic divinity.
This is a rare and exciting opportunity to both familiarize yourself with an obscure but nonetheless important ancient yoga text, while experimenting with a form of chakra meditation practice that has the potential to radically deepen your yoga practice.
Sādhanā is a Sanskrit word that derives from the root /sādh, which means “to succeed,” “complete,” “finish,” or “accomplish.” In the context of spiritual and contemplative traditions of yoga and meditation, sādhanā comes to refer to a variable sequence of practices by means of which one “accomplishes” the goals of yoga. The one who participates in sādhanā is referred to as a sādhaka – one of several words we find in the yoga tradition for the yoga ‘practitioner.’ At the heart of sādhanā is the goal of spiritual transformation, and so this is not repetition for the sake of repetition. Similar to how regularly brushing your teeth amounts to healthier, whiter teeth, the regularity of your practices will deepen your sādhanā and have a cumulative impact on your life.
What is Sādhanā?
It is often said that 30 days is enough to start (or break) a habit...
Indeed, there's magic in repetition. Let Jacob Kyle be your guide in this 30-day journey, exploring a range of popular mantras to deepen yourself spiritually, alleviate stress, focus attention, or to cultivate discipline.
Practice Outline
Participating in this 30-Day Process requires just 20-30 minutes of your time per day. Every day will include a live (or occasionally pre-recorded) video session with Jacob Kyle, during which he will unpack a short teaching or translation from the text, followed by a practice grounded and inspired by the Matsyendrasaṃhitā. While the daily practice will remain consistent, the accompanying studies will build on a sequence of “movements” to deepen the synergy of knowledge and experience.
Movement 1 (Days 1-5): Discursive Meditations
The Mastyendrasaṃhitā includes a fascinating “frame story” of one of the key founders of haṭha yoga, Matsyendranātha. We will discuss this story and how it can inform our practice, and in these first days of the sādhanā we will explore the central importance of creative contemplation (bhāvanā), illuminative insight (pratibhā), and the meaning and function of chakras in Tantric yoga.
Movement 2 (Days 2-10): The 7 Yoginīs & their Chakras
In both the Śaiva-Śākta and Tibetan Buddhist traditions, we find reference to a variable number of yoginīs, who are the visualized expression of the 6 (or 7) chakras in the text we’ll be studying. We will explore the significance of these yoginīs, their mantras and symbolism, and engage in a practice that harnesses their power through our faculty of imagination.
Movement 3 (Days 16-20): Central Mantras of the Mastyendrasaṃhitā
A central feature of Tantric and haṭha yoga lies in the use of various mantras. Mantras are vibratory tools that are said to have an energetic effect on the practitioner who takes up their practice. In the Mastyendrasaṃhitā, many important mantras are referenced and explored. We will discover the meaning and significance of mantra, and how vibratory practice is an as yet less understood but profoundly rich field of practical yogic understanding.
Movement 4 (Days 21-25): Maṇḍalas, Yantras & Other Devices
Sacred geometry is an important feature of many esoteric and wisdom traditions, and the yoga tradition is no different. Geometrical devices in the form of Yantras & Maṇḍalas express divine faculties and are used in the context of yogic meditative practice to harness one's attention and energy in particular ways. Over these days, we will explore various symbols and geometrical tools from this text and the Tantric tradition.
Movement 5 (Days 26-30): Tantra Yoga & Haṭha Yoga
Where does Tantric yoga end and Haṭha Yoga begin? Can one meaningfully make such a distinction without issue? If they are connected, in what ways are they so? If they are different, what features distinguish them from each other? And what's the point of making such distinctions if we take yoga to be a process that reflects universal principles? We will discuss these and other important questions in our final days, as we continue to practice together.
Three Additional On-Demand Lectures for a Limited Time...
Available On Demand Upon Purchase of the 30-Day Chakra Sādhanā.
Why is Om so central to the practice and philosophy of Yoga? Could it be this radically simple word unlocks the essence of all yogic wisdom? In this talk, we will trace the presence of Om in the Vedas, in the Upanishads, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, the Bhagavad Gita, in Tantric texts, as well as consider its parallels in global sacred traditions and its resonance with science-based models of the universe.
This seminar is a multidimensional experience into the Yoga of Sound practices of mantra, rāga, and kīrtan. Sound unites us all, across culture, time, and space. Sound is our source and our means of creating self-knowledge and a vibrant, and full life. Through merging our being with the sound current, we not only come to know the magical landscape of our inner life, but we are better equipped to communicate our knowing with others… and, it’s just a lot of fun!
OM NAMAH SHIVAYA
with Nataraj Chaitanya
The Yoga of Sound
with Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche
OM: Why it Matters
with Mary Reilly Nichols
The experience of unity consciousness is enshrined in mantra. Together, we'll explore the importance of mantra sadhana to the modern yoga practitioner and how a long-term committed mantra practice can unfold over time.
Jacob Kyle
Jacob Kyle is a yoga and meditation teacher, writer, philosophy educator and the Founder of Embodied Philosophy, an online educational platform for wisdom studies and contemplative practices. Jacob holds an MPhil in Sanskrit & Indian Philosophy and Religions from the University of Oxford (2023), an MA in the History of Philosophy from the New School for Social Research (2013), and an MSc in Political Philosophy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (2007). Jacob received dīkṣā into a Tantric form of meditation in 2015, and has since that time been studying and practicing with Kashmir Shaivism scholar-practitioner Paul Muller-Ortega. In 2020, he was initiated as an Acharya (authorized teacher) of Neelakantha meditation and continues to dedicate his life to studying deeply the texts and traditions of the Śaiva-Śākta Darśana, as well as making available through the Embodied Philosophy platform transformative wisdom teachings, practices and perspectives.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
We know that you'll find this course informative, educational and inspiring.
But we want you to know that even if you don't, Course refund requests submitted within 30 days of the purchase date are fully honored. To request a refund, contact our support team at hello@embodiedphilosophy.com. We promise to have your refund issued within 5 business days.
Buy this 30-day practice for a one-time payment or with a 4-part payment plan.
30-Day Chakra Sādhanā
One-Time Payment
$147
/ $299
Pay $36.75 upon registration, then 3 more interest-free installments
$36.75
Single Payment
4-Part Payment Plan
Engage with this text to broaden your understanding of the historical and philosophical traditions of yoga, and deepen your practice by liberating your sense of what the imagination can accomplish.
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