SVADHAYAYA SERIES
Yoga Philosophy Workshops w/ Julian Boswell
At the heart of yoga is svādhyāya, the study of the self. This concept, central to both the niyamas and kriyā yoga, has often been interpreted as the study of texts—because these texts are ultimately concerned with the nature of the self. They offer not just philosophy, but methods of inquiry: how to observe the mind, how to act in the world, and how to use the body as a tool for awareness.
This series of three workshops will explore yoga’s foundational texts in that light—not as historical writings to be understood at a distance, but as frameworks for direct experience. Each session stands alone, but together, they offer a broad perspective on yoga’s philosophical roots.
You can attend any one session or take all three as a complete study.
COST: $50 — singular session | $135 — complete study
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – The Architecture of Mind
March 22 — 3:30pm (2hrs)
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras offer a methodical approach to reshaping the way we think in order to shift our understanding of the self. This session will explore Patanjali’s vision of yoga as a path to stilling the mind, covering key sutras on practice (abhyāsa) and dispassion (vairāgya), kriyā yoga, the kleshas, and karma. We will examine the eightfold path (ashtanga yoga) as a means of moving beyond suffering and discuss the idea of eka-tattva (one-pointed focus) as a tool for steadiness. Just as āsana shapes the body, these sutras shape the mind.
The Bhagavad Gita – The Self in Action
May 10 — 3:30pm (2hrs)
The Bhagavad Gita presents self-inquiry in motion. Rather than retreating from the world, the text asks what it means to act with awareness and conviction. Can the Bhagavad Gīta provide practical instruction for today's householder? Do we need a devotion to God or in Krishna to learn from the Gīta? Can we take a spiritual text that's set in a warzone seriously? This session will explore the three paths of yoga (karma, bhakti, and jñāna), the nature of dharma, and what it means to act with awareness. Through key verses, we will examine how its teachings apply both to practice on the mat and to the decisions we make every day.
Hatha Yoga Pradipika – The Body as a Method
June 28 — 3:30pm (2hrs)
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is often treated as a technical manual, but it is also a summation of earlier Tantric texts—a systematic approach to working with the body as a means of transformation. This session will explore how Hatha yoga fits within the broader history of Tantra, offering an overview of the text and its key practices. We will work with āsanas described in the HYP, discuss kriyās and the subtle body system of prāṇa/apāna and the nāḍīs, and explore (and possibly practice) pranāyāma and mudrās. The focus will be on understanding these methods not as isolated techniques, but as part of a larger inquiry into awareness.
This series will be taught by Julian Boswell, whose absorption and dedication to yoga philosophy and all things yoga are infectious and his understanding of the subjects is ever-deepening and ever-evolving.
”After high school, I did a degree in Philosophy at Sydney Uni. At the time it was limited to thinkers from the Western tradition. A few years later I became devoted to asana, and started exploring the Vedic canon.
After reading Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, a path of understanding and working with the mind became clear. I fell in love with the Bhagavad Gita and have read it countless times, each time learning and deepening my understanding. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is a fascinating window into Yoga practices from around 500 years ago and so I’ve included it here as a practical step forward into pre-modernity.
We’ll look at these texts pull out points of interest, discuss meanings and see where we can draw inspiration and guidance along our journey. “
