Patañjali's Yoga Sūtras are an ancient manual on how we can access deep insight into the nature of reality while overcoming psychological suffering. This experiential in-person workshop explores the preparatory meditation techniques in this sacred text. The Sūtras of Patañjali have been revered by Theosophists, Buddhists and Yogic masters for their concise description of the mechanisms of consciousness and the process of purification of the mind and body. 

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In this workshop, we will examine the Sūtras' account of Samadhi or deep absorption.  These ancient meditation techniques support the development of right attitudes and concentration necessary for safely developing the intuition.  We will also look at the 8 limbed graduated preparatory path to freedom from suffering through Vyasa and Sankaras commentaries of the Yoga Sūtras.

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Join this experiential in-person workshop to discover the tradition of mantra in Tantric ritual, meditation technologies and the theory of sound in ancient Indian philosophies.

In this workshop at the College of Psychic Studies in London, we will explore the ritual technologies of mantra in Tantric practice and how mantra is used as a tool to access deeper states of consciousness. Together, we will practice ancient techniques of healing through the vehicle of sound. 

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First, we will unpack the theory. We will look at the structures of the subtle yogic body and how this mind-body is transformed through accessing the primordial sounds of creation. You will receive detailed explanations of the mechanisms behind the psychological processes of transformation framed in the context of ancient Indian philosophies such as Sāṃkhya and Mīmāṁsā. Then, we will graduate to apply this theory to practice. We will use various techniques to align thoughts and sound as a means to access deeper states of meditation. 

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Additionally, we will explore the direct experience of advanced meditators and ritual practitioners who discovered healing and insight through the medium of sound. We will use their subtle instructions to guide our own access to transcendental states of consciousness. 

By understanding the connection between the sacred geometry of the mind-universe and our mind-body experience through the eyes of our ancient seers, we can align the power of intention with the power of presence. 

Preliminary Practices on Paths to Transcendence in Eastern Traditions

Various methods exist for preparing the mind for profound insights and psychological changes which can happen during spontaneous Kuṇḍalinī awakenings and meditation practices – and refining our behaviour when accessing deeper structures of the mind can be highly significant. Ann will explore the mechanisms behind thought in Sāṃkhya Metaphysics (a philosophy which supports most traditions in Tantra and Yoga) to understand better how ethical behaviour impacts various stages on the path to awakening. She will also look at how preliminary practices such as the Pāramitā (transcendent action) safeguard against certain psychological hindrances when we start to deepen our insights, and she will examine spiritual teachers’ responsibility and the impact their behaviour has on furthering enlightenment.

This workshop aims to demonstrate techniques for stilling the mind and witnessing the nature of reality as it is according to the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali.  The Sutras are an ancient Indian text which has embraced a range of spiritual practices spanning over a thousand years.

The workshop is a mixture of a talk and practice where students can take a deeper look at why and how certain preliminary practices support wholesome transformations of our psychology to lay a foundation for profound changes to the mind and deeper states of meditation.

Below is a brief look at some of the concepts and practices in the Yoga Sutras we will be exploring.

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• Techniques to address fear, trauma and attachment

• Bodily purification techniques to create physical homeostasis

• Techniques and perspectives to cultivate clarity in thought, speech and action

• Asana (yoga postures), and Pranayama (breathing techniques) to untangle physical and emotional blockages as prescribed in the Sūtras and commentaries of the Sūtras

• Practices to initiate sensory withdrawal in preparation for one pointed focus

• Appropriate adjustments in positioning the mind for samadhi (deep meditative absorption) with support and then samadhi without support.

• An exploration of the siddhis, mental powers and liminal states according to phenomenological research

• The metaphysics and philosophy behind the Yoga Sūtras compared with other yogic and Buddhist paths.  

• How the Sūtras are situated with our current understanding of psychology and neuroscience.

• A look at the perspective of scholars and sages such as Vyasa and Shankara.

In this workshop, we will take a detailed look at how various meditation practices shape our minds and how we progress towards a mind free from suffering in the Buddhist context.

Subtle caveats in the techniques are often overlooked; however, these caveats have profound effects on how we condition the mind towards wholesome states.  In this workshop, we will explore various Buddhist meditation techniques and place each in its appropriate context. There will be plenty of opportunities to establish the techniques in short practice sessions along with methods to make meditation a part of our regular routine.

This workshop will look at important mediation stages and unpack why preliminary practices are important.  We will map out each stage of practice in the Buddhist worldview, the causes of psychological suffering, and how to overcome these causes in the Buddhist context. We will examine the various techniques of jhana (concentration), insight training (mindfulness) and preparatory Brahma Vihara practices (loving-kindness), and body relaxation techniques.  This workshop reflects the teachings of the Buddha from the sutras (Buddhist Pali Canon) as well as a look at the altered states which may arise from various practices and how one should move through these states to reach the final goal of profound freedom.  We will explore the advice of living masters who have navigated the field of extraordinary experiences which lead to liberation. There will be opportunities to ask specific questions regarding the techniques and appropriate adjustments based on one's psychology to avoid unnecessary psychological hindrances. Any advice given will be supported by the Vissudhimagga, an important text used as guidance by early Buddhist monks.

Sound has been used as a spiritual tool in traditions all over the world and throughout the centuries.  Through its utterance, its felt reverberation and its hidden messages, humans have awoken to the numinous through its extraordinary power.  In this talk, we will explore the practice and the meaning behind mantra (the utterance of sacred sounds) in the context of Ancient Indian traditions.  We will explore the ritual science of preparing a sacred space through the organisation of sound in the Vedic ritual as well as the sacred practice of installing sound syllables onto the body with the Tantric practice of Nyasa.  We will look at the meaning of mantra or bija in the context of Mandala in Tantric and Buddhist traditions and how the phenomena of mantra manifest as lived transcendental experiences in the body and mind. We will look at how we can use mantras as a tool to awaken higher consciousness and explore the different altered states that can arise as a result.  We will take a closer look at different theories from ancient India which unpack the mechanism of speech, thought, and awakening by exploring how sound affects our psychology and what happens when we apply intention to these mantras.

The Kuṇḍalinī experience is a human phenomenon as old as time and is known by many names in many cultures. It is a profound human experience where the body and thought dissolve into an expansive, blissful experience of oneness. 

In this Livestream talk, Ann Mathie will explore what happens during a Kuṇḍalinī awakening through the lens of interviews with experiencers, and of ancient Indian Buddhist and Yogic Texts. She will explore how the Kuṇḍalinī experience is situated on the path to enlightenment through meditation manuals written by Buddhist meditation masters, as well as the latest discoveries in neuroscience. 

Ann will frame these Kuṇḍalinī experiences within the Tantric and Yogic Sāṅkhya worldview to unpack how Universal forces play an intrinsic part in human design. She will also explore how these experiences aid in the eradication of psychological suffering and the devolvement of psychic abilities.

Talk 1

In this talk, we will explore the path laid out by the Buddha and how Kuṇḍalinī energy is used in Samadhi or Jhana-type practices for liberation.  We will explore the 16 stages of insight and how the experiences of advanced meditators map onto the experience of a Kuṇḍalinī rising.  We will discuss how the Buddhists navigate some of the more challenging aspects which can arise as a result of this awakening.

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Practice 1

We will start with gentle Yoga postures and light pranayama to relax and stretch the body to prepare for comfortable seated meditation.  We will then practice loving-kindness meditation to lighten the mind followed by mindfulness of the breath.  We will use techniques for withdrawal of the senses before we practice concentration on the breath.  We will then start to concentrate our minds on the breath to cultivate access concentration (a preparatory state before jhana, Buddhist samadhi).  We will end with an investigation of the phenomena arising and passing through the body.

All the practices are drawn from a rich range of texts relevant to the traditions discussed in the talk before the practice.  

In this talk, we will discuss the different states of consciousness that can arise with Kundalini experiences and how they are situated Buddhist and Tantric paths to awakening.  Through the lens of phenomenological research, manuals written by advanced meditation teachers and ancient Buddhist and Tantric texts, we will put into context some of the more challenging altered states and how one might navigate these experiences towards greater freedom.  For more context, we will touch on the subtle body and biological mechanisms at play during a Kundalini awakening.

This talk will explore the physical and metaphysical experience of Kuṇḍalinī that can arise spontaneously or as a result of spiritual practice. These experiences will be framed within the Tantric and Yogic worldview to understand how Universal forces play an intrinsic part in human design. Viewed through the lens of Sāṅkhya Philosophy; the metaphysics which underpins most of India’s traditions in Yoga and Tantra, Ann will examine how these forces are the modus operandi of our psychology and the means to transcend mundane existence. To unpack the Kuṇḍalinī phenomena further, she will investigate yogic texts which describe the subtle body model of the sun and moon and how this amṛita inducing phenomenon occurs. She will also point at theories in current science that mirror these ancient insights.

This talk will explore the physical and metaphysical experience of Kuṇḍalinī that can arise spontaneously or as a result of spiritual practice. These experiences will be framed within the Tantric and Yogic worldviews to understand how Universal forces play an intrinsic part in human design. Viewed through the lens of Sāṅkhya Philosophy; the metaphysics which underpins most of India’s traditions in Yoga and Tantra, Ann will examine how these forces are the modus operandi of our psychology and the means to transcend mundane existence. To unpack the Kuṇḍalinī phenomena further, she will investigate yogic texts which describe the subtle body model of the sun and moon and how this amṛita inducing phenomenon occurs. She will also point at theories in current science that mirror these ancient insights.

In this talk, we will explore the meaning of yoga according to the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali and Sāṅkhya philosophy.  We will discuss the nature of consciousness and the manifestation of our perceived reality according to Patañjali.  We will look at how our reality is comprised of the 3 gunas (subtle and gross matter) and how the practice of the eight limbs of yoga has a direct effect on our perception of reality.  We will unpack how and why certain practices provide us with a clear path towards different stages of samadhi or deep absorption resulting in our final liberation or kaivalya.

We will look at examples of how one might apply certain aspects of the yoga sutras in a skilful and personalised way to benefit from this precious teaching.  At the end of the talk, we will practice meditation techniques described in the Bhysa or early commentaries on the Yoga Sutras.  These practices are designed to cultivate the right attitudes, poise and intentions which allow deeper absorption and happier states of mind as well as alleviate mental and physical hindrances which obstruct clear seeing. 

In this talk, we will discuss what the Buddha discovered under the Bodhi tree which led to his radical freedom from suffering.  We will explore the different types of deep absorption or Jhanic states and how these phenomena are experienced in the mind-body, based on the direct experience of long-term meditators and Buddhist monks. We will look at how these Jhanic states lead to insight and the workings of this mind matrix.  We will detail the fruits of this practice and how one can begin to develop this profound state of deep absorption.  We will look at practices from the ‘Four Foundations of Mindfulness from the Satipatthana Sutta as well as preparatory practices from early Buddhist literature which support a more wholesome and steadier mind for deeper states of absorption.

There will be a practice of guided meditation starting with loving-kindness and then moving into the concentration of breath, weaving in the ‘seven factors of awakening’, inspired by the teachings from the Pali Suttas and the early Buddhist text, the Visuddhimagga. This meditation is to prepare the mind for ‘access concentration’ or deep absorption to enable insight into the nature of reality.

In this talk, I will discuss my phenomenological research with advanced meditators and monks.  We will also look at scientific studies which provide evidence of a greater potential for the human mind and body. We will look at the neurobiology of Samadhi states and draw comparisons of the subtle body with the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

We will look at some of the meditation techniques in the Buddhist path and discuss how these techniques transform the human psyche and to what end.  There will be an open discussion at the end of the talk to further explore any of the topics touched on during the talk.

This is a series of two talks that explore the physical, emotional and metaphysical experience of Kuṇḍalinī that can arise spontaneously or as a result of spiritual practice/devotion. The first talk will frame this experience within the Tantric and Yogic worldview to understand the mechanism of Kuṇḍalinī and its purpose. We will look at the scriptural evolution of ideas from the Indian continent which points at this divine occurrence. 

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The second talk will explore the lived experience of this phenomenon and how it can manifest in the body and mind.  We will look at how this mysterious occurrence can be viewed by modern psychiatry as mania, schizophrenia or psychosis. We will explore some ideas which differentiate transcendence from psychosis and how we have a growing need to re-examine older psychiatric models of a healthy mind. 

In this talk, we will explore how Yoga influenced the Buddha and how early Buddhism shaped yoga.  We will explore the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and highlight parts of the text which were a nod to the teachings of Buddha from the Pali Canon.  We will draw comparisons between the world view of Buddhism where there is no-self and the Yogic Purusha or Pure Consciousness of Samkhya philosophy.  To unpack this further, we will explore the 8-fold noble path of Buddhism and how this path structure lays important conditions for awakening. Similarly, we will examine how the 8 limbs of Yoga prepare the psyche and subtle body for Samadhi states.

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This talk is for the Yoga Teacher Trainers for Vajrasati Yoga.  It is tailored to support a firm foundation of philosophy behind guided yoga and meditation practice.  We will look at how the texts (the Pali Canon and The Patanjaliyogasatra) provide practical application of yoga and meditation techniques as means to refine and purify the mind in a grounded and supportive fashion.

In a time of uncertainty and insecurity for many people, this practice is one which serves as a protector against negative feelings which cause fear and anxiety as well as mistrust and anger towards others. 

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In the first 30 minutes, we will discuss how the practice of loving-kindness and compassion is situated in early Theravada Buddhism as well as in Mahayana Buddhism.  We will briefly look at Buddhist psychology and the jhanas or deep absorptions on the path to liberation. We will also look at the meaning of loving-kindness and compassion in the Buddhist context and how this acts as a support and protection on the path to greater freedom and happiness. 

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For the guided meditation we will refer to early Buddhist texts the Visuddhimagga and the Pali Canon (Nikayas) in order to reflect in more detail on how one should cultivate loving-kindness and compassion.  The path laid out by the early Buddhists has been tried and tested and is carefully designed to suit the needs of our human psychology.

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This workshop is a look at the metaphysical framework of the mind according to Sāṅkhya philosophy.  We will discuss the nature of the mind and matter and how this relates to the yoga sutras and the eight limbs of yoga.  After the talk, will work through a series of Asana or yoga postures to relax the muscles and soothe the nervous system followed by pranayama to awaken more subtle awareness as described in the Vyasabhasya (early commentary on the yoga sutras).  We will then explore a series of guided meditations.

Is this reality we live in an illusion?  If so, is there a way out of this mind matrix? 

In this talk, we will be looking at what the Buddha discovered under the Bodhi tree which lead to his radical freedom from suffering.  We will be exploring the different types of deep absorption or Jhanic states and how these states are experienced in the mind-body.  To frame these phenomena, we will look at the direct experiences of long term meditators and Buddhist monks. We will look at how the Buddhas’ different states of absorption lead to insight into the workings of this mind matrix.  As a result of this insight he found a way out of suffering.

This talk will explore the metaphysical relationship between mind and matter in the Buddhist context based on Abhidharma manuscripts.  We will look at techniques of freedom discovered by the Buddha in detail based on the Pali Cannon and early Buddhist literature.  Most importantly we will be exploring the meaning of freedom from suffering and how to attain it. 

That which could not be seen with the physical eye was declared ever-present by the Ṛshis, Munis and wandering ascetics who devoted themselves to awakening. To understand the relationship between mind and matter, one had to transcend the self. Only then could one 'see’ the true nature of reality.  The vehicle through which this is made possible is the yogic body; a subtle body that vibrates beyond our normal sense perception yet governs every aspect of our being.  This talk explores the mechanics behind consciousness and how this manifest as a subtle body.