An online workshop with Zoë Slatoff and Daniel Simpson
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2020
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (New York)
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Oxford)
Join us for a nourishing mix of chanting and discussion to help us prepare for hibernation. With winter on the horizon, we will reflect on how to sustain ourselves with a balance of strength and ease.
The Yoga Sūtra says a posture should be sthira and sukha – steady and comfortable or happy. We will explore what this stability means and how we can develop it in times of uncertainty, drawing on ideas from the Bhagavad Gītā and other yogic texts.
We will also consider how to use this support to find happiness and peace as we move toward the end of a challenging year, looking forward to a new one with inner contentment.
PRACTICALITIES
The workshop takes place on Zoom, so you can join us from anywhere. All sessions are also recorded to watch again later. The price is £40 (about $50), including access to recordings and digital materials.
As a bonus, we will also share a chapter from Daniel’s new book, The Truth of Yoga, plus an audio file of Zoë chanting śānti mantras (call-and-response style to help you learn them).
Click the button below to register – via a checkout at danielsimpson.info.
Overview
INTRODUCTORY SESSION
Daniel Simpson and Zoë Slatoff
We will begin with Sanskrit chants and a short meditation, then take a few moments to reflect on our intentions and share words of introduction.
STABLE ROOTS
Zoë Slatoff
To provide a foundation for our discussions, we will look at the Sanskrit root of the words for stability, sthā (which actually sounds quite similar to the English), and see how these terms are defined in various yoga texts over the centuries.
STEADFAST WISDOM
Daniel Simpson
Mohandas K. Gandhi said the second half of chapter two of the Bhagavad Gītā conveyed the essence of its message, as well as his philosophy of spiritual activism. We will consider what it says about how to stay centred whatever life throws at us.
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CULTIVATING PEACE
Zoë Slatoff
We will first chant some verses from the second chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā and then turn to a selection of śānti mantras from the Upaniṣads to foster tranquillity.
GROUP DISCUSSION
Daniel Simpson
This year has not been easy for most of us. If we have the time to sit and contemplate these texts, we are relatively fortunate, but we have still been challenged to find new resources to cope with adversity. Together, we will share ideas on how we might emerge with a deeper understanding of ourselves and renewed appreciation of others.
CONCLUDING SESSION
Daniel Simpson and Zoë Slatoff
We will finish with a short sharing circle before chanting together again, joining our voices, intentions and spirits.
About us
Zoë Slatoff
Zoë teaches yoga, Sanskrit and chanting in New York. She also runs courses at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, based on her popular Sanskrit textbook.
Daniel Simpson
Daniel teaches yoga philosophy at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, on teacher trainings and online. His book, The Truth of Yoga, will be published soon.
Endorsements
Feedback from online workshops in 2020:
“Beautiful, informative, timely, and timeless... Presented with insight, humility, and deep knowledge.”
“A memorable experience... The instructors were supportive, engaging, dynamic, stimulating, pacifying... A true treat!”
“I really liked the way you are able to integrate tradition, Sanskrit, and present issues... Very inspiring and helpful.”
“A depth of intensity I had not expected in a virtual meeting. So wonderful too to co-create an international community.”
Foundations of Peace
£40.00
Saturday, December 12, 2020
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (New York)
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Oxford)
