Sadhana School - The Logic of Prāṇa: From Gross to Subtle to Beyond the Subtle.

In a commentary on the Netra Tantra, the great Tantric sage Kṣemarāja writes, “abandoning the gross state of prāṇa, etc. as well as the subtle one within, one thereby attains the supreme vibration, beyond the subtle. This is called (the real) prāṇāyāma, from which one never falls.” While we will learn the “gross” practices of prāṇāyāma that Kṣemarāja mentions, we will approach these practices with clear vision and path toward the ultimate point of engaging with breath practices in the first place.

The Logic of Prāṇa: From Gross to Subtle to Beyond the Subtle.(January 21 - March 11)

In our winter 2025 Sādhana, we will explore selections from a number of Sanskrit texts of yoga philosophy and practice. One such text, very little known and rarely studied in the modern postural yoga world, is the Śivasvarodaya, a Sanskrit text that unpacks a tradition of what is called “svara yoga.” Svara can be translated variably as “musical note,” “vowel,” “sound,” and – perhaps most immediately relevant for us – as “air breathed through the nostrils.” This multivalence of meaning makes the word ‘svara’ a very potent concept for weaving together the breath as sound, as music, and more expansively as the essence of life itself.

Because our process is rooted in the Śaiva-Śākta Tantric tradition, the texts that will frame much of our study will derive from the period of Tantric philosophical activity widely known as Kashmir Śaivism. While any single one of these texts would be enough to ground our entire Sādhana, our method of study will be to explore a range of passages on prāṇa and prāṇāyāma from texts like the Vijñāna Bhairava, Netra Tantra, the Śivasvarodaya, as well as texts of Abhinavagupta, including the Tantrāloka. We will also read passages from the later haṭha yoga texts, but we will read and interpret these passages through the lens of non-dual Tantric sādhana.

Each sādhana session will last 2.5 hours and seeks to balance the twin elements of study and practice. Without knowledge, practice is blind, but without practice, our knowledge will be disembodied and shallow. This is the spirit of the scholar-practitioner that animates the motivation of the entire Embodied Philosophy project. In addition to equal parts study and practice, we will also devote a portion of our time to cultivating a sense of kula.

A kula is a community bound together by the shared commitment to sādhana. In each session, there will be time for either a robust Q&A and/or breakout sessions, in which students are encouraged to interact with each other, share their experiences and insights, and ultimately build an energetic network of subtle intimacy that transcends the physical limitations of space.

how the foundational texts of Tantra articulate a vision of the breath as the essence of reality and how prāṇāyāma can be complete path to liberation.
to navigate the various perspectives of prāṇa within different yoga texts, honoring their differences while developing an awareness of the holistic vision of prāṇa that unites them all.
how practices of the breath are often narrowly understood in modern postural yoga, and how as deeper students and practitioners we can begin to embody a more expansive understanding of how our breath connects to the deepest impulse of reality itself.
to integrate esoteric philosophical principles with embodied contemplative practices, enriching their personal sādhana and deepening their spiritual insight.
to recognize how philosophical views of the breath can inform their understanding of the self, consciousness, and the nature of reality.

Ardhanārīśvara is a hybridized deity form of Śiva and Śakti and is thus popularly depicted as half-male and half-female. A compound of ardha (अर्ध), meaning “half,” nārī (नारी), meaning “woman,” and īśvara (ईश्वर), meaning “lord,” the name literally means “Lord who is half-woman.” Ardhanārīśvara is thus a profound and empowering symbol of the breath and philosophically represents the non-duality and non-separableness of Śiva (Consciousness) and Śakti (Energy).

In the Kulārṇava Tantra, we find a meditation on Ardhanārīśvara which evokes this divine image as synonymous with the famous mantra of the breath, haṃsa. Thus, as a sādhana devoted to the philosophy and practices of the breath, the mūrti (or image) of Ardhanārīśvara will be a constant presence and source of inspiration as we explore the depths of prāṇa and prāṇāyāma.

Unlike other individualized self-help programs or yoga teacher trainings that provide superficial or limited solutions, Embodied Philosophy uses scholar-practitioner Jacob Kyle’s deep understanding of original yogic source materials – some of which are many centuries old – as he makes available to the wise and the curious, in easily digestible bites, that which until now have been relatively unknown teachings of the yogic wisdom universe. In addition, students learn from other famous yogic scholar-practitioners from around the world in a thriving and vibrant online community, where compelling discussions are had, connections are made, and friendships are formed.

What is the Sādhana School (SS)?

The Sādhana School (SS) is a comprehensive curriculum for those who are seeking wisdom and awakening. It is a learning laboratory that harnesses the deeper principles and philosophies of the yoga tradition for sustainable change at the personal, professional, and community levels.

The SS curriculum varies year to year. Attendees can elect to do a single 8-week sādhana, or sign up for the full-year’s curriculum. A full year includes three 8-week periods of study & the Summer virtual retreat. Participants engage in an immersive study of yoga's diverse traditions, commit to daily practice, and join guided discussions that explore the application of ancient wisdom to modern life.

Who should participate in the Sādhana School?

Is the Sādhana School live and is attendance mandatory?

Can I receive continuing education credits through the Sādhana School?

The Sādhana School will provide you with a deeply orientating encounter with yoga’s profound traditions of meaning and truth. Over the course of this experience, it is natural to feel inspired to become a vessel for the dissemination of yogic wisdom. Embodied Philosophy has until now hesitated to launch a Yoga Alliance-certified Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) program, but the state of affairs in the world and a newfound transformation of our cultural and spiritual awareness means that now is the time.

This optional deepening of the Sādhana School will provide you with all the Yoga Alliance certified skills to launch (or expand) your yoga teaching practice. We will equip you with little-known practices, techniques, and technologies, and we will train you to teach not just the physical postures of yoga (āsana), but (perhaps more importantly) the subtle yogic practices of breath, meditation, chanting, and visualization. The yoga teacher as we understand it at Embodied Philosophy honors the present paradigm of modern postural yoga, but expands and deepens the possibilities of yogic teaching by grounding this teacher training process in the practices, traditions, and sacred texts that are very often either unknown or largely ignored by the majority of yoga teacher trainings available today.

Over six immersive weekends scheduled over six months (January - June 2025), you will learn how to teach foundational āsanas (postures), learn about functional anatomy and physiology, principles and approaches to teaching methodology, and develop skills to thrive in a modern yoga business climate – both online and offline.

How does the Sādhana School count toward my Yoga Teacher Training?

What does it mean to be Yoga Alliance certified?

Do I need previous yoga experience to enroll in the 200-hour YTT?

Will I be qualified to teach yoga after completing the 200-hour training?

What certification will I receive upon completion of the 200-hour YTT?

Many yoga teachers operate in a bubble, with very little expert advice or support to help make the most of their offerings. Is it time to take stock of your existing business and to reIMAGINE the path that your yoga business is on? Do you need to think in fresh & innovative ways based on the current market environment in order to move your platform forward, or keep your business afloat? Do you have pressing business concerns or difficult questions that need to be answered? Or important, exciting decisions to make about your yoga business? Are you negotiating contracts, offers or opportunities on your own? If so, yoga business coaching is for you.

By joining Ava Taylor, you'll tap into over 15 years of experience negotiating, vetting and creating opportunities as well as launching, maintaining, and leveling up over a 1000 yoga businesses worldwide.

Is the coaching tailored to my specific personal and professional goals?

Who is yoga business coaching for?

How long is a typical coaching package?

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.

Integrating somatics, spirituality, and postural yoga in a unique multi-disciplinary offering
Becoming a therapeutic guide grounded and informed by philosophical wisdom teachings
Public speaking for community, corporate, or spiritual settings
Training future teachers to become embodied philosophers themselves
Developing curricula for use in childhood and adult contemplative education
Offering retreats that combine the rigours of philosophical knowledge with the depth of contemplative practices
Writing books and resources for the next generation of contemplative seekers and guides

Many yoga teacher trainings prepare you to facilitate a simple yoga class, but most will fail to help trainees craft a holistic vision for the future that extends beyond the modern yoga studio. The Sādhana School is where this journey begins, by transforming you into a vessel of yogic wisdom. By becoming intimate with yoga's diverse traditions and perspectives, you will locate and become knowledgeable about those niche areas of yogic truth that eventually will situate you to become an agent of contemplative change.

IAYT Approved Professional Development (APD) CREDIT You can easily submit the 36 CE credits for this certificate by locating the listing here and clicking on the course Verify Credits link. You will answer a few questions about your satisfaction with the course, upload your certificate of completion, and the CE credits will be posted to your profile. (Your course input is private. Any data shared with course leaders and Embodied Philosophy from IAYT will be de-identified and provided only in aggregate.)

Yoga Alliance This certificate program can be registered for continuing education credits with Yoga Alliance.

Students can expect around 4 - 6 hours per week of work throughout the program. Each week will have 2 courses, with 2 hours per session. Courses will include suggested & required readings, which will be provided ahead of time. In addition, there will be 3 separate, 90-minute Integration Sessions over the duration of the program. Integration Sessions will be a time to reconsider the material presented in the general lectures through conversation with a faculty member and through small group discussions with fellow students. Students are required to keep a private written journal of reflections (not submitted) responding to question on the course syllabi.

The Tantric Breath