Unwinding Yoga: Teachings & Lectures

Raj Patra passes a scholarly volume of yoga education to his audience in a format that is approachable, interesting and meaningful for audience who may be new or knowledgeable about Tantric philosophy.  Here is a small set of samples from a diverse collection of topics: Science & yoga, dharma, human evolution in spirituality, lineages of yoga, yoga as cultural appropriation, etc.

VIDEO: Lecture on Gunas

gu·na (ˈɡo͝onə/) nounplural noun: gunas. (in Vedanta) any of the three interdependent modes or qualities of prakriti: sattva, rajas, or tamas. 

In this lecture, learn the fundamental concepts, and overcome some of the misconceptions around Gunas, which is an essential contextual subject of self-study to find emotional and energetic balance.

Video: Does Science need to prove the benefits of yoga?

In the modern, western world where there is a constant need for proof of clinical validation of all events physical and psychological, this is an interesting perspective on the personal experiences resulting from practices of yoga. 

Video: How to control thought for a fulfilling life

Learn practical techniques that is logical and structural to find focus and intention in everyday activities.  Raj teaches skills that anyone can harness and apply to ensure that mind stays focused to maximize productivity and find satisfaction in all efforts.  The result is satisfaction in achievements, without anxiety through a sense of what-else-am-I-missing!

Universal Yoga Mandala Class Teachings

With Universal Yoga, created by Dorje Andrey Lappa, Raj can create and teach literally hundreds of distinct classes that create different physical, energetic, emotional, and intellectual states in the practitioners' mind. The double cross-mat schema creates precise geometrical Mandala in multi-dimensional space using asanas, pranayamas, mantras, visualiations, mudras and bandhas.

"I thought I knew what yoga was! Led by Raj, this "universal yoga class" was exceptional. The continually moving asanas, the atmosphere set by Raj at the start, the music from the Upanishads, all contributed to an exceptional experience. I saw poses that I never thought possible executed with amazing fluidity - an incredible display of pure yoga.  Many of the participants have been trained by Raj, even more of a testament to his yoga and teaching expertise."  - Alyce A.

Deep Stretch Asana and Meditation Teachings

Based on Universal Yoga principles, Deep Stretch class focuses on sequential progression of human abilities of rotation ranges on an individual basis.  As a result of the intelligence of construction of these classes, one is able to exercise all major joints of the body: flexion, extension, internal and external rotations, abduction, adduction, as well as side bends across each limb and spine.  As students reach the limits of their abilities, it brings in them Dhyarana (concentration), immediately followed by Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses). Constant push and pull of these two states allow practitioners to get into the higher limbs of Raja Yoga: Dhyana (returning all concentration to the source of concentration) enabling a deeper state of meditation, than otherwise possible, spontaneously.

Workshops

"To be a teacher is to constantly cultivate the skill of free-giving, without holding back and without any expectation." - Raj Patra

This comes from exposing students to a broad spectrum of workshops: some related to asanas, some to further deeper practices of Pranayamas and Bandhas, and others to connect students with results from effective tantric meditation techniques. 

Meditation Courses

The effectiveness of teaching meditation techniques correlates directly to understanding the nature of mind and fluctuating thoughts in a student. Hence even though every individual teacher has an effective technique that works for himself or herself, as a teacher you have to surrender what works for you and teach what works for a student. The key to teaching meditation expertly is to gain mastery in many techniques and be unattached to any.  Raj Patra offers Meditation Classes and Courses based on ancient Tantric techniques of Vajrayana, Mahayana, as well as modern techniques of MBSR, and Effortless Mind. 

Rarely practiced techniques based in Universal Yoga include Meditation in Walking and Meditation in Sleeping.   

I find these teachings interesting and informative, and would like to receive similar educational materials on Yoga philosophy.