Raja Yoga
Five day Residential
Rocklyn Yoga Ashram
Monday 29 May – Friday 2 June 2023
$550
includes teaching, meals
and share accommodation –
additional options available.
- This new residential option is ideally completed prior to the online course.
- It is also consolidation for those who have previously completed that course.
- It will be available as a standalone course for a limited number of participants.
Raja Yoga
Twelve weeks online
Reflective exploration & personal practice
Commences Monday 5 June – Sunday 27 August 2023
10 hrs per week
Prerequisite for Instructor Training
$750
Dates for 2024 intake
5 day residential followed by 10 weeks online from 22 September 2024
More details soon
About the ashram residential module
Monday May 29 – Friday June 2
- Lectures, discussions and group work on Raja Yoga concepts and practices.
- Integration of practices in ashram environment
- Practical classes, yoga nidra and meditation with a Raja Yoga emphasis
- Program will make the most of live group environment
About 12 week online module
Monday June 5 – Sunday August 27
- Unique comprehensive manual
- Weekly live & multiple video recordings of classes & lectures
- Systematic development of personal sadhana
- Weekly online tutorials and senior teacher support throughout the course.
Course comparison
The 5 day residential is a practical introduction to Raja Yoga, and will also act as a consolidation for previous course graduates.
The full experience and qualification requires completion of the 12 week online block. The 12 week block is a standalone experience that also works in tandem with the residential.
Completing the 12 week block fulfills the prerequisite for the Yoga Instructor qualification.
The content of the residential course is not identical with the 12 week course. Raja Yoga will be approached from a different angle.
Interactive learning tasks, such as group work and discussion, will be prominent in the live program.
Besides learning many techniques and yoga practices, I’ve learned so much about myself during the course. Observing and reflecting on behaviors, thoughts, and emotions has created some space within to be at ease, to rest, to come back when feeling lost or entangled in the mind. I’m very grateful for this journey of self-discovery and self transformation.
Your Teachers
Swami Vimalratna will guide these courses leading a dedicated team of teachers. He is well known as a yoga course developer and teacher with the ability to make deep traditional knowledge clear and practical. He has a PhD on the topic of understanding and sharing cultural wisdom. This means that the courses are designed for immersion and true understanding, not an academic approach. Instead, there are useful tools with direct application in life and clear guidelines on how to use them. Learning is structured to build incrementally throughout the courses.
Vimalratna has 27 years experience teaching yoga and a Diploma in Satyananda Yoga Teaching. He is also an award winning filmmaker with degrees in graphic design and animation. Therefore, the courses have been prepared with creative high quality manuals, recordings and other resources. The whole learning process is steeped in personal understanding of yoga, to help make the experience enjoyable, approachable and real.
About the approach of these courses
In these courses you will find a practical down to earth approach to the Raja Yoga tradition taught through a mix of practical classes, tutorial discussion, activities and lectures. Concepts and Sanskrit terms, when used, are clearly explained and included according to their usefulness in every day life.
You will learn yoga skills and strategies to have confidence to manage life’s challenges more effectively.
About Raja Yoga
The Raja Yoga practices and concepts are thousands of years old, the heritage of humanity, and more relevant today than ever. They are designed to foster deeper self awareness, wisdom through self reflection and insight, inner connection and a more balanced life.
Raja Yoga is often thought of in terms of meditation and the inner journey. First steps on this adventure reveal that every aspect of life contributes to the harmony that makes the journey possible. This includes yoga asana and pranayama, daily routines, alignment of feelings and thoughts, and balanced interactions with others. Only then is consistent progress possible.
The course draws directly on the classic text on Raja Yoga by Patanjali, the Yoga Sutras. It contains many concise jewels, useful tools and strategies for understanding and managing the patterns of the mind. This includes skills for self-reflection and developing sustained regular practice.
Patanjali helps us develop understanding of the nature of the obstacles we place in our own path and provides powerful techniques for overcoming them. A down to earth approach to this classic text makes its mysteries accessible to contemporary life.
One of the starting points to understanding and applying Raja Yoga is the Ashtanga or 8 limbs of Patanjali: Yamas and Niyamas, Pranayama, Asana, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. These courses cover a range of themes from Patanjali, including these eight limbs, with a particular focus on techniques and understanding of Pratyahara.
Pratyahara is often interpreted as withdrawal of the mind from the senses. More widely it is the harmonisation of the patterns of mind and the capacity to remain undisturbed no matter what is happening in life.
Sadhana
These courses will help you explore the experience of Sadhana, personal practice, through the prism of Raja Yoga, in the light of the Satyananda tradition of yoga.
This is done with the understanding that yoga is about taking responsibility for one’s own life, developing self-understanding and a positive approach to living.
When these skills are developed, any goal is possible. This whole developmental process has traditionally been referred to as Sadhana, the subtle discipline of a way of living adopted to reach one’s deeper goals.
Who are the courses for?
You don’t need any prerequisite knowledge for these courses, though prior classes in the Satyananda tradition will make the course more accessible.
Either or both Raja Yoga modules provide a comprehensive exploration of Raja Yoga. Whatever your prior experience, they will be useful for learning more about this essential aspect of yoga. The focus on how to better manage patterns of mind, and the events of daily life, is particularly helpful.
If you are an experienced practitioner or yoga teacher, the different approach to Raja Yoga taken in these courses will offer fresh insights.
These courses will create a systematic journey into the essential Satyananda tradition practices (asana, pranayama, meditation and yoga nidra), meditation concepts and skills, and give you strategies for integrating yoga practices, attitudes and concepts into your daily life.
A part of Yoga Instructor training
A preparatory module for yoga instructor training. The 12 week module is compulsory for this. The residential is not compulsory this year, however, the residential will greatly enhance your learning and will be fully integrated in coming years.
Weekly Timetable
for twelve week module
(there may be some adjustments to this)
Essential
Sunday 11.30-12pm – YOGA NIDRA, live, also recorded for practicing at your convenience.
Monday 5-6pm – LECTURE , live, also recorded for viewing at your convenience.
Tuesday 6-7.45pm – ASANA PRANAYAMA MEDITATION CLASS, Live, priority to attend, also recorded for later viewing.
Friday 7-8.05am – ASANA PRANAYAMA MEDITATION CLASS, Live, priority to attend, also recorded for later viewing.
Friday 5-6pm or Saturday 9-10am TUTORIAL, Live, priority to attend, not recorded for privacy reasons.
Attendance key criteria for achieving certificate.
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Optional
Sunday 7-8.30am CLASS – Simple Sunday. We are moving this class to the morning for the Southern Hemisphere summer as we find that Sunday evening during summer is hard for potential participants.
Wednesday 7-8.05am – CLASS – Meditative Wednesday
Big Day In with Yoga, (every two months) is included in course fee.
Weekly Timetable
for five day residential 29 May – 2 June
(times and details are indicative – subject to confirmation)
Monday
9-10am: arrive at Rocklyn Ashram
10.30-11.30am: Welcome session,
11.30am-12pm: Tea
12pm-12.30: yoga nidra
12.30-1.00: lunch
1-2pm: Break
2-2.30pm: Tea
2.30-4pm: Presentations, group activities and discussion
5-6pm: meditation class
6.00pm: evening meal
7.15 -8pm: Evening program
Tuesday
6.00-7.30am: Morning class
7.30-7.45am: Chanting
8.00-8.30am: Breakfast
8.30-9.00am: Cleaning
9.15-11.30am: Lecture and group work
11.30am-12pm: Tea
12pm-12.30: yoga nidra
12.30-1.00: lunch
1-2pm: Break
2-2.30pm: Tea
2.30-4.30pm: Karma Yoga (engagement in activities of ashram with a focus related to Raja Yoga)
5-6pm: meditation class
6.00pm: evening meal
7.15-8pm: Mixed program from Raja Yoga course and ashram life
Wednesday
6.00-7.30am: Morning class
7.30-7.45am: Chanting
8.00-8.30am: Breakfast
8.30-9.00am: Cleaning
9.30-11.30am: Lecture and group work
11.30am-12pm: Tea
12pm-12.30: yoga nidra
12.30-1.00: lunch
1-2pm: Break
2-2.30pm: Tea
2.30-4.30pm: Karma Yoga (engagement in activities of ashram with a focus related to Raja Yoga)
5-6pm: meditation class
6.00pm: evening meal
7.15-8pm: Mixed program from Raja Yoga course and ashram life
Thursday
6.00-7.30am: Morning class
7.30-7.45am: Chanting
8.00-8.30am: Breakfast
8.30-9.00am: Cleaning
9.30-11.30am: Lecture and group work
11.30am-12pm: Tea
12pm-12.30: yoga nidra
12.30-1.00: lunch
1-2pm: Break
2-2.30pm: Tea
2.30-4.30pm: Karma Yoga (engagement in activities of ashram with a focus related to Raja Yoga)
5-6pm: meditation class
6.00pm: evening meal
7.15-8pm: Mixed program from Raja Yoga course and ashram life
Friday
6.00-7.30am: Morning class
7.30-7.45am: Chanting
8.00-8.30am: Breakfast
8.30-9.00am: Cleaning
9.30-11.30am: Lecture and group work
11.30am-12pm: Tea
12pm-12.30: yoga nidra
12.30-1.00pm: lunch
1.00pm: Finish
Learning resources for the 12 week module
- A systematic sadhana of asana, pranayama, yoga nidra, meditation and mantra is provided
- A full original easy to follow manual with commentary explaining the practices, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, and related topics
- Learning website: audio, video and other learning resources
- Weekly verses for reflection from Patanjali, with a related task to explore in daily life
- Live lectures (recorded for flexible viewing) each week
- Weekly tutorials with participants from around the world
- Practice classes timetable above. All classes may be done live or from video recordings for later practice. Come to at least one class per week, with deeper benefits from greater commitment
- Ongoing email, text and phone support from experienced teachers throughout the length of the course
- The main review tasks are a reflective diary to be submitted each fortnight, the development of a personal sadhana template, and participation in tutorials and practical classes.
- Flexible options with live and/or recorded access to materials.
- 10 hours per week with a high level of flexibility to suit personal circumstances
Learning resources for the residential
- Brief handouts on relevant concepts
- Access to recordings requires enrolment in the 12 week online module
Hatha Yoga
Raja Yoga
Karma Yoga
Instructor 1
Instructor 2
Instructor 3