Use code FALLSSEARLY100 at checkout for $100 off through October 18, 2025
8-Week Sādhana | Starts October 22, 2025 | Recordings Available
Join us this Fall to deepen your practice & experience the cultivation of dynamic stillness.
Participants of the Fall 2025 Sādhana will . . .
The Śaiva-Śākta Tantrik texts offer not only rich philosophical insights but also subtle technologies for transforming the practitioner’s experience of awareness. In this fall sādhana, we turn to three foundational texts that form the spine of Tantrik meditation theory. The Śiva Sūtras reveal the spontaneous emergence of awareness from the heart of Śiva, while the Spanda Kārikās speak to the vibratory dynamism (spanda) that animates all perception and embodiment. The Pratyabhijñā Hṛdayam, or “Heart of
. . . cultivate refined awareness through meditation and study, recognizing that awareness is both creative and created.
. . . transform how they experience and embody consciousness in everyday life.
. . . discover the dynamic stillness at the heart of life & experience.
Recognition,” provides us with an accessible entryway into the non-dual philosophical vision of the tradition. This sādhana will focus on cultivating subtle attentiveness to the pulsation of awareness and developing a contemplative language for perceiving stillness in motion. Through meditative practice and careful study, we will begin to sense that dynamic awareness as not something we merely generate — but something we recognize, recover, rehearse, and refine.
“I can be in a relationship with this life and its source in a profound intimate way.”
- Jonah
In spiritual communities today, authentic depth is often replaced with trademarks and shallow marketing; in academic spaces, the sacred and contemplative is mostly stripped out of education. As our world convulses with conflict, we need the kind of everyday responsiveness that is uniquely born through a process of deep inner attunement.
We need places where philosophy and practice belong together — where rigorous study sharpens insight, and contemplative practice becomes a living experiment in creating a different kind of freedom for our lives and for the lives of others.
Sādhana School revives the original purpose of the humanities: to cultivate wisdom, wonder, creativity, and discernment as the ground of a meaningful life.
Here, liberation is not a final state somewhere off on the horizon, but an aesthetic and dynamic recognition (pratyabhijñā) of the sacred Self that is always already present in every aspect of life.
"The teachers have an encouraging style that invites me to open."
- Turiya
Weekly classes are on Wednesdays from 9:00-11:30am ET
Week 1 | October 22 | Recognition Begins in the Heart
We begin with the core insight of the Pratyabhijñā Hṛdayam: that the deepest nature of reality is consciousness itself, and that liberation is about encountering the new through a recognition of what is and has always been right here. This recognition (pratyabhijñā) is a return to the heart of consciousness — not as superficial sentimentality, but as the vibrant center of knowing and being. In this opening module, we establish the groundwork for all that follows: that the path is not toward awareness, but from an understanding that it is already taking place.
Week 2 | October 29 | The Pulse of Being – Introduction to Spanda
Building on recognition, we turn to the Spanda Kārikās to attune ourselves to the subtle tremor or pulsation (spanda) that animates all perception and embodiment. This dynamic stillness — motion within stillness, stillness within motion — invites us into a mode of inner listening that can hear a wisdom below the threshold of cognitive agitation. By noticing the vibratory rhythm of consciousness itself, we learn to sense the sacred in the micro-movements of our daily lives.
Week 4 | November 12 | Recognition Begins in the Heart
The Śiva Sūtras reveal a map of awakening grounded in the spontaneity and sovereignty (svātantrya) of awareness. Consciousness is not produced by the mind — it is self-arising, free, and generative. In this module, we explore the nature of consciousness as uncaused and irreducible, a field from which all phenomena emerge and dissolve. Practices focus on cultivating the capacity to abide in this ungraspable but ever-present reality.
Week 4 | November 12 | The Play of Concealment and RevelationThe Play of Concealment and Revelation
A central theme in Tantrik thought is that reality hides itself in order to be found. We explore how the limited self (aṇu) is not a mistake but part of Śiva-śakti’s play (līlā), and how bondage itself is already saturated with the potential for liberation. This module challenges binary notions of sacred/profane, pure/impure, or spiritual/ordinary, emphasizing instead a path of intimate engagement with the world.
Week 5 | November 19 | Language as a Portal
In the Pratyabhijñā tradition, language is not merely descriptive — it is creative and performative. Mantra, poetic metaphor, and the very structure of thought all participate in shaping experience. This module explores how Tantrik texts use language to gesture beyond conceptuality, and how the practitioner can begin to “speak from awareness,” developing a contemplative idiom that reconfigures their relationship to thought, speech, and silence.
Week 6 | November 26 | Body as Vibration, Practice as Revelation
Rather than seeing the body as an obstacle, non-dual Tantra reveals the body as a vibratory field of awareness. Drawing from the somatic insights of spanda theory, this module deepens our attention to the inner body — not just the anatomical body, but the subtle flows of attention, sensation, and breath. Practice becomes a process of revealing what is already there, refining perception until the ordinary becomes translucent with the sacred.
Week 7 | December 3 | The Still Point Within Movement
Here we enter the paradox at the heart of this tradition: that the more we sense into the dynamism of life, the more we encounter an unwavering stillness. This still point is not separate from movement but is the axis around which it turns. Through seated meditation, breathwork, and careful study, we learn to notice how the world dances without ever leaving the spaciousness of awareness.
Week 8 | December 10 | Living Recognition
In our final module, we explore what it means to live from the recognition that has slowly dawned throughout the sādhana. How do we carry this insight into the messiness of relationship, responsibility, and creative life? Rather than seeking escape, the Tantrik path calls us to embody wisdom within the world. We end with a contemplation of jīvanmukti — liberation while living — and the possibility of a life infused with subtle awareness, creative joy, and unshakable freedom.
[SUB COPY AND WEEKEND OUTLINE BELOW]
WORKSHOP
1. Subtle Perception & Energetic Literacy
2. Contemplative Hermeneutics
3. Soteriological
Imagination
4. Embodied Discernment & Ethical Sensitivity
Structure for depth — a scaffolded path of exploration (study + daily practice + integration) so insights don’t evaporate.
Rigor without dogma — close reading of root texts and serious techniques (mantra, uccāra, nyāsa, visualization), taught according to tantric teachings and perspectives.
Lasting clarity — move beyond overwhelm into discernment, vision, clarity, and confidence.
Hear from last year's Sādhana School Students
- Margaux
- Virginia
"It was wonderful to dive deep into the theory and practice that many of us get a taste for when we first practice asana and attend teacher training school. I learned so very much during the program and I am immensely grateful to have been part of it... what I feel now is an immense joy, a sense of wonder, that I can be a part of this awesome sadhana group from my home in a small African country called Malawi... Thank you, Jacob, for your huge work and for bringing the teachings of yoga alive for me, and for so many of us around the globe."
- Katherine
- Jonah
"There are endless thoughts and feelings that I could be describing. Apart from the huge learning, that I can be in a relationship with this life and its source in a profound intimate way… All of this has been made possible through your work, and I want to thank you again for that. You have created an incredible space, filled with so much authenticity - a word much overused, but absolutely necessary in this context. I loved the mixture between the intense practices and the rich theoretical knowledge! I soaked up every word and am excited for more."
[The teachers] have an encouraging style that invites me to open... I get to see so much more of the traumatized self I threw at Baba's feet so long ago. I'm still aching for clarity between dissociation and transcendence... This is a breakthrough for me to get this far.
- Turiya
- Serena
It was a special and profound experience for me... Thank you for sharing your gift of teaching, your deep knowledge, dedication and commitment to the path is what is needed for such precious information... I have a feeling the vibration is going to help me to open the energies of my throat and communication and so much more.
From daily practice to faculty feedback, each element is designed to hold you in a rhythm of study, reflection, and integration.
1. Tools & Scaffolding
2. An Average Week
3. Faculty Feedback
4. Prerequisites & Required Books
5. Access & Materials
6. Accessibility
You want an adventure of meaning without spiritual dogmas and you prefer intellectual rigor without cynicism. You’re ready to commit time, attention, and sincerity to deep study and practice. You value nuance, philosophical depth, critical reflection, community, and self-inquiry.
Not for you if you want passive ‘content-dump’ certifications, ideological conformity, New Age platitudes, “feel-good” practice sessions, or salad-bar spirituality.
"I love the mixture of intense practices with
rich theoretical knowledge!"
- Jonah
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
We know that you'll find this series informative, educational and inspiring.
But we want you to know that even if you don't, Course refund requests submitted within 7 days of program start 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.
Sādhana School Teachers
Jacob Kyle is a meditation teacher, writer, philosophy educator, and the Founding Director of Embodied Philosophy. His guiding mission is to re-imagine the modern function of the yoga teacher in alignment with the teachings, texts, and traditions of yoga's profound history. He believes that by building a network of teachers who share a commitment to disseminating the deeper teachings and practices of yoga, we can build a world based on wisdom rather than ideology and divisiveness.
Jacob is a doctoral student at the University of Oxford, researching Abhinavagupta's Philosophy of Language and Meditation with advisor Diwakar Acharya. He holds an MPhil in Classical Indian Religions from Oxford (2023), an MA in Philosophy from the New School for Social Research (2017), and an MSc in Political Theory from the London School of Economics (2007). Jacob is a passionate advocate of Kashmir Śaivism and a devoted practitioner of the Śaiva-Śākta Darśana.
Jacob Kyle
Lead Teacher
Nataraj has led retreats, workshops, kirtans, and has directed yoga and meditation teacher training programs throughout the world for 20 years. After beginning a daily meditation and yoga practice at the age of 13, Nataraj immersed himself in the teachings of yoga and tantra and at the age of 16, began to share these nectarean teachings with his students. He has inspired countless seekers to take up a spiritual practice and has dedicated his life to bringing the wisdom of yoga to everyday life.
His love of teaching is evident in the enthusiastic and devotional manner in which he leads his classes. He strives to create environments and experiences where people from all walks of life can directly contact the fullness of their own Being.
Nataraj Chaitanya
Guest Faculty
Join us for Fall 2025 Sādhana School
FALL 2025 SADHANA SCHOOL (25 Hrs)
$497
Monthly Payment Plans Available
$1997
1-YEAR of SADHANA SCHOOL (100 Hrs)
$1497
-25%
Monthly Payment Plans Available
Still on the fence? Book a 20-Minute Discovery Call with our Advisor
Are you fascinated and inspired by this program but still have questions unique to your circumstances? Set up a 20-minute Discovery Call with a Student Advisor, and get your unique questions answered.
The cost of this discovery call is $25. If you decide to join Sādhana School, this price will be applied to your Sādhana School enrollment and therefore deducted from your overall price.
BIPOC Rate Available:
We believe in everyone’s right to access wisdom education. Our larger programs offer scholarships and installment plans available at checkout. To support equity and inclusivity in our community, we offer a reduced rate for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) individuals. If you identify as BIPOC and are interested in this rate, please reach out to hello@embodiedphilosophy.com for more information.
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