Journey to the Heart
Find inner fulfillment, replenishment, and inspiration in the wisdom of the Bhakti tradition for living with compassion and resilience in challenging times.
Join us for a 3-week deep dive into the most relevant and timely teachings for purposeful living right now. We begin on February 5, 2024.
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Align with the Power of Love
In a world that can feel so fractured, heart-centered practices can open us to the experience of spiritual love: for others, for ourselves, for affirmation beyond our confusion, and for life itself.
In this course, you'll learn how to approach the complexities and possibilities of life’s journey as opportunities to open to, strengthen, and clarify this experience of abiding love at the core of spiritual life.
You'll discover what it means to live life illumined and supported by spiritual love, known in yoga as bhakti.Â
February 5-25
One year access
Self-paced Sessions
Teaching Talks & Integration Sessions
Live Asana Classes
Guided Self-Inquiry
Live Q&A Sessions
Discover Spiritual Love as the Foundation of a Meaningful Life
Bhakti yoga, the yoga of the Heart, is often called the most accessible path toward yogic union. Steeped in the rich Indian devotional tradition, the teachings of Bhakti yoga guide us toward a universal experience that's echoed by sacred traditions the world over: the deep-seated connection, happiness, and contentment that comes from recognizing our true nature as love.
We’ll contemplate key passages from Narada's Bhakti Sūtra, a pivotal 10th century text about the nature of spiritual love that can inform our own lives today.
Guided by Prof. Bill Mahony’s translation and commentary, you’ll refine your understanding of spiritual love and integrate your study with practices throughout the course.
Thank you with all my heart for your daily messages and inspiration. I have been a student, teacher and practitioner of yoga for over forty years. Each phase of life brings new insights, new challenges and new growth to the realization and expression of love through me in my life. … your daily insights have been like an oasis that has been enriching and nourishing to my spiritual life, as well as to the navigation of the turn in the road my daily life has taken. Â
Marilyn Dixon
Thank you so much for this amazing course, I truly enjoyed all aspects of it.
Karen Eberhardt
Join Others in Contemplative Study
You’ll experience this course as part of a cohort. Everyone in the group will receive the course sessions at the same time. They will remain available on-demand so you can complete and revisit all the materials in your own time.
You and your fellow students will be able to comment on all the sessions and ask questions. Comments and questions will be addressed by Barrie in writing and in the integration sessions. Bill and Barrie will also host 2 live Q&A sessions during the course.
Here are the topics we will explore:
- Week 1:Â What is Bhakti?
- Week 2:Â A Life Illumined by Bhakti Sensibilities
- Week 3: Fruits of a Spiritual Life Nourished by Bhakti
Partial scholarships are available if you are in need of a reduced rate. Contact us for more information.
Enroll for only $120
This course includes a combination of on-demand and livestream sessions. All livestreamed sessions are recorded and available on the course platform so you can work through the material in your own time and revisit it as often as you wish. You will have access to all course materials for one full year from the starting date.
Each week of our course includes:
- Teaching talks from Bill
- Reflection questions and exercises to bring the meaning and significance of the teachings to life for you right now
- An integration session led by Barrie to further unpack the teaching focus
- Livestreamed all-levels asana class as another way to assimilate the teachings on a physical level
Plus, Bill and Barrie will host two live-streamed Q&A sessions.
See the FAQs below for the detailed course schedule.
There is nothing you need to attend live, however, you will be able to participate and comment with your cohort.
Yoga teachers: This course qualifies for 7 CE hours with Yoga Alliance.
About the Teachers
William K. Mahony is Professor of Religious Studies Emertitus at Davidson College. Bill, as he is known informally, has written and published extensively on the religions of India and has a deep understanding of yogic life, grounded in nearly five decades of his own spiritual practice. His books include The Artful Universe: An Introduction to the Vedic Religious Imagination and, most recently, Exquisite Love: Reflections on the Spiritual Life Based on Narada’s Bhakti Sutra.
Barrie Risman is an internationally-recognized yoga teacher, public speaker, and author. Her best-selling book, Evolving Your Yoga: Ten Principles for Enlightened Practice, is a guide for teachers and continuing students to deepen, expand, and integrate the benefits of yoga in their lives. She teaches yoga around the globe through her ongoing classes, workshops, mentoring programs, and trainings, both online and in person.