THE ORIGINS OF YOGA - DR. MATTHEW CLARK 
(EN INGLÉS)
September 13th to 15th  2021

Since 2004, Dr. Matthew Clark has been an unsalaried Research Associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London), where he has taught courses on Hinduism. He has spent many years in India, which he first visited in 1977, visiting nearly all important (several hundred) pilgrimage sites and trekking around 2,000 miles in the Himalayas. He first engaged with yoga in the mid-1970s, began regularly practising Ashtanga Yoga in 1990, and since 2006 has been lecturing world-wide on yoga and philosophy. His publications include ‘The Dasanami-Sannyasis: The Integration of Ascetic Lineages into an Order’ (2006), which is a study of a sect of sādhus, and a short book on the origins and practices of yoga (2007). ​

Monday 13th of September

The Origins and Practice of Yoga / 3:30m-5pm

In the first of his lectures, Dr. Clark will survey the history and background of yoga practices in South Asia, from the time of their ancient origins until the present day. Various sects of yogis will be discussed, as well as the philosophy of the Yogasutra, a text attributed to Patanjali (c. 4th century CE), and the philosophy of the Samkhya system, which is traditionally paired with the yoga system. The concepts embodied in the Yogasutra will be introduced and contrasted with the practices and philosophy of yoga that evolved in the medieval period. We will also explore the development, innovations and spread of yoga in the twentieth century.

Tuesday 14th of September

The Sutras / 3:30pm - 5pm
In this talk we will explore the main ideas and concepts in Patanjali's yoga sutras. The Buddhist  background to the sutras will be explored, as will the experience of samadhi and the arising of occult powers. The Sankhya system will be analysed in some depth, as this system provides the metaphysics behind Patanjali's practices.

Wednesday 15th of September

Introduction to Tantra / 12:00pm-1:30pm

Tantric texts first begin to appear around the 6th century CE. Rites, practices and metaphysics evolved and developed, a process that eventually informed, to a greater or lesser degree, nearly all the major religious traditions of Asia. In this lecture, the historical evolution of Tantric rites will be explored, and we will consider the way Tantric ideas pervaded yoga.
Sanskrit Studies / 3:30pm-5:00pm 
In this workshop we will discuss the history and form of the Sanskrit language and begin to learn its pronunciation, particularly focusing on the names of postures and other yoga practices. There will also be a brief introduction to the written language.
 Where: Sun Salute Studio Torre de la Horadada -
​When: MONDAY 13th to Wednesday 15th
Price:: 30€ per Workshop /75€ for them all
Bookings & Info: Hola@SunSaluteStudio.com / +34651545512