This flagship course will guide you to understand, practice, and teach mindfulness, absorption, and other skills of awareness—comprehensively, from yogic, modern, and practical perspectives.

Awareness is the basis of conscious choice. Empowerment in self-care and wellbeing begins with awareness of our patterns. Classical yoga presents the practices of mindfulness, absorption, and contemplation expansively and in depth.

This course is a part of the Svastha Yoga Therapy Program. Click here for details of the full program.

Course Description

In summary, in this course, you will: 

  1. Understand the key types of awareness practices.
  2. Examine the ancient yoga frameworks that structure and explain awareness practices.
  3. Explore how we can use different types of awareness practices optimally on our journey of wellbeing.
  4. Classify objects of awareness, what we can practice mindfulness or meditation on, based on practical samkhya and yoga frameworks. 
  5. Practice yogic mindfulness extensively and in-depth.
  6. Experience absorption practices in sight, mantra, breath and body, positive emotions and more. 
  7. Practice composite visualizations of sensations, images, and more.
  8. Explore the neuroscience of consciousness and attention.
  9. Understand the connections between yoga and modern positive psychology and neurobiology on the topic of meditation and mindfulness.


Topics covered include:

What and why of awareness practices 

  1. The categories of directed attention: mindfulness, absorption, contemplation. What are their key features and the differences between them? 
  2. The stages of progressive absorption in meditation practices.
  3. dhāraṇā, dhyāna, samādhi, samyama in traditional yoga.
  4. Ways that awareness practices play an important role in supporting holistic wellbeing and self-transformation: monitoring, focus, insight, goal-setting. 
  5. Experiencing holistic states of change (bhāva). 6. Recalling one’s attention (smṛti-sādhana). 
  6. The arising and role of insight (prajñā) in transformation. 
  7. What to meditate on? Objects or experiences of focus: body, breath, senses, emotions, abstractions, I-sense (grahītā, grahaṇā, grāhya).
  8. Contemplation and abstractions in meditation pathways: vikalpa, vitarka, vicāra. 
  9. Awareness and the three guṇas of yoga as an underlying framework.


How of awareness practices

  1. Balancing effort and relaxation in attention practices, walking the line between energy and dullness.
  2. Growing the qualities of steadiness and entrainment.
  3. Understanding and practicing focused vs. expansive awareness states. 
  4. Managing the emotional background of mindfulness and absorptive states. 
  5. Cultivating a stable meditation pathway over time.
  6. Finding salience or importance in objects of absorption.


Yogic mindfulness: cultivating sattvic presence 

  1. Understanding the cautions, challenges, recommendations in mindfulness practices. 
  2. Developing and deepening sattvic mindfulness of breath, body, senses, thoughts and emotions. 


Yogic absorption: foundations of mantra, imagery and more 

Understand the principles of, and practice absorption in: 

  1. sound, mantra, speech. 
  2. light, images. 
  3. breath and body sensation.
  4. positive emotions. 
  5. peace, stillness. 


Science of consciousness and attention 

Understand the neuroscience of the self, including:

  1. emergence and purpose of self-construct.
  2. nerve signaling, neural circuits. 
  3. theories of consciousness.
  4. top-down monitoring and feedback systems.


Explore the neurobiology of:

  1. mindfulness, absorption. 
  2. flow states, default mode network. 
  3. mystic and alternative consciousness states. 


Traditional yoga frameworks 

  1. bhāva
  2. dhāraṇā, dhyāna, samādhi, smṛti-sādhana 
  3. prajñā
  4. vikalpa, vitarka, vicāra
  5. grahītā, grahaṇā, grāhya

 

Course Format

  • 30 hours of live sessions

  • Sessions across time zones for maximum accessibility

  • Recordings available for 1 year to revisit and deepen at your own pace

Course Schedule

DATES AND TIMES (INDIAN STANDARD TIME)

While we have provided times in different zones for convenience, please use a converter (such as timeanddate.com) to confirm the class timing in your time zone. The time in India is the base time of the classes. 

You can also add the schedule to your calendar using the link: https://calendar.google.com/art-and-science-of-awareness or download the calendar in iCal format.

Wednesday: 12:00 noon-02:00 PM (Dates: 24 April, 08, 22 May 2024) 

Indian Standard Time: 12:00 Noon = London: 7:30 AM | Amsterdam: 8:30 AM | Singapore: 2:30 PM | Perth: 2:30 PM | Sydney: 4:30 PM | Auckland: 6:30 PM

Wednesday: 07:30 PM-09:30 PM (Dates: 24 April, 08, 22 May 2024)

Indian Standard Time: 7:30 PM = Los Angeles: 7:00 AM | New York: 10:00 AM | London: 3:00 PM | Amsterdam: 4:00 PM | Singapore: 10:00 PM | Perth: 10:00 PM

Thursday: 12:00 noon-02:00 PM (Dates: 25 April, 09, 23 May 2024) 

Indian Standard Time: 12:00 Noon = London: 7:30 AM | Amsterdam: 8:30 AM | Singapore: 2:30 PM | Perth: 2:30 PM | Sydney: 4:30 PM | Auckland: 6:30 PM

Thursday: 7:30 PM-9:30 PM (Dates: 25 April, 09 May 2024)  

Indian Standard Time: 7:30 PM = Los Angeles: 7:00 AM | New York: 10:00 AM | London: 3:00 PM | Amsterdam: 4:00 PM | Singapore: 10:00 PM | Perth: 10:00 PM

Sunday: 12:00 noon-02:00 PM (Dates: 28 April, 12 May 2024) 

Indian Standard Time: 12:00 Noon = London: 7:30 AM | Amsterdam: 8:30 AM | Singapore: 2:30 PM | Perth: 2:30 PM | Sydney: 4:30 PM | Auckland: 6:30 PM

Sunday: 07:30 PM-09:30 PM  (Dates: 28 April, 12 May 2024) 

Indian Standard Time: 7:30 PM = Los Angeles: 7:00 AM | New York: 10:00 AM | London: 3:00 PM | Amsterdam: 4:00 PM | Singapore: 10:00 PM | Perth: 10:00 PM

Teachers

Dr. Ganesh Mohan learned yoga from childhood in the tradition of Sri Krishnamacharya through his parents, A. G. Mohan and Indra Mohan. He trained in ancient studies including Sanskrit, Vedic chanting, and Ayurveda and then went on to become a modern medical doctor. He integrates a full spectrum of holistic well-being methods in his work: movement, breathing, meditation and mindfulness, lifestyle, diet, relationships, life guidance and more. He has had extensive experience with thousands of students and patients across the world. He also directs the Svastha Yoga & Ayurveda trainings, including the Svastha Yoga Therapy Program across the globe. He is the co-author of numerous books published internationally, such as Yoga TherapyKrishnamacharyaYoga Reminder and Krishnamacharya In His Own WordsWith his father, he is the translator of the important Sanskrit yoga texts, Yoga Yajnavalkya and Hatha Yoga Pradipika.


A. G. Mohan is one of the foremost yoga masters in this era. He began his yoga journey in 1971, spending nearly two decades as a personal student of the legendary yogi Sri Krishnamacharya. Then he immersed himself in further wide-ranging studies of ayurveda, samkhya, tantra, ancient India dramatics, jyotisha, and more over decades. He is the author of several books on yoga, including Yoga for Body, Breath, and MindYoga TherapyKrishnamacharya: His Life and Teachings and Krishnamacharya In His Own Words.


Indra Mohan  began her yoga studies along with her husband, A.G. Mohan, in 1971. She is one of few people to receive a post-graduate diploma in yoga from Sri Krishnamacharya. She is appreciated by students not only for her extensive knowledge and clear teachings, but also for her wisdom and calm presence. She has guided many thousands of students over five decades to increase their wellbeing, manage their health problems, and find personal and spiritual transformation.


Nitya Mohan, daughter of A. G. Mohan and Indra Mohan, was trained in yoga from a young age. She also holds a degree in music and is an exponent of Vedic chanting, having conducted numerous seminars and given concerts internationally. A skilled and experienced teacher, she has been running the Svastha training programs in Singapore for two decades.


Certificate

The last lesson of the course includes assessment through a multiple choice quiz. Once you complete the assessment, you will receive your certificate of completion for the course (30 hours of training).

Course FAQ's

  • When can I access the materials in the course?

    This is a live course spread over 15 sessions. Please review the dates and times to schedule your attendance. Recordings will be uploaded to the course after the live sessions.

  • How can I join the live sessions?

    Zoom meeting links to live sessions will be available inside the course and sent to you by email one week before each session. Further instructions are detailed in the introductory lesson, and you can email us for help or information.

  • I missed the live session, what do I do?

    The recordings of the live sessions will be uploaded to the course and you can watch the replays at your convenience

  • How long can I access the course?

    You have access to the course for one year from the date of your enrollment.

  • How physically challenging are the practices in the course?

    You can do the practices in this course while seated on a chair. All levels are welcome.

  • Is the course mainly lecture or practice?

    The course contains both. The vision of Svastha and the Mohans is that one should always develop understanding along with practices. That is the way to empower yourself for lifelong wellbeing. That was also the traditional way of teaching and learning.

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What our members are saying

Working towards inner peace!

Getting insights from long term teachers and practitioners as the Mohan family is invaluable. There is a lot of clarity and simplicity in the explanations of how our mind works and the role of desire. I loved all the practices they taught in this course to move towards inner peace, soooo useful! I really appreciate all the teachings received.

JULIA  M


Beyond Desire 

Very fulfilling in content and structure of knowledge provided as well as the deep experiences made accessible in the practice parts. Thank you so much!!!

MELANIE T


Very indepth

Deepening your knowledge with the Mohans gives you a clear and profound insight of what yoga is about. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

NANDA  VAN P


Embodiment, ancient and modern approaches

HEIKE M


Very eye-opening on patterns you thought is clear anyway

Loved the practices together with the sources in the texts, very Spot on. Very clear and simple!  Thank you 

MIRA R


Well presented

It was very well explained. Excellent.. great charts to make it more easy to retain the concepts.

HARSHA G


Excellent!

I am very grateful for the online courses; this is a great opportunity! The course was excellent, as it balanced between theory and practice.

ANNA K


Thank you so much

I learned so much out of this course, thanks to you!

TRUSS K


Perfect pace, perfect presentation

Can not be better. Learned a lot even though I already knew the basics: the Imbalance of one person is his own balance, we should not focused only on production of Agni but balance it! Immediately understood why my practice of Pranayama was not fully effective, and when I added to to it Sitali paranayama, I started to feel better. Now I will look also at the diet.

DILLARO S


A generous and very informative course

Thank you for a very rich course. I want to highlight in particular the precisions and nuances introduced by Dr. Ganesh Mohan, as well as the deep of knowledge shared by AG Mohan. It seems to me much more than a 5.5 hours program... much to reflect on :)

NICO F