- LIVE ONLINE PROGRAM
June 29 – September 21
The Heart of the Bhagavad Gita: Uplift your Mind and Soul
Rukmini Chaitanya
10 WEEKLY SESSIONS, Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30pm ET + 3 bonus sessions
What you'll learn:
- How to remember God even at the time of death.
- The great significance of the last thought in the mind at the moment of death.
- How the predominant thought in the mind throughout a person’s life determines where the soul goes next.
- How to live our life in such a way that will ensure our remembrance of God at the time of death.
- The meditation techniques practiced by yogis at the time of death.
- Vedic cosmology: The creation of the Universe, the creator of the Universe, the cosmic ages (and how the knower of the Self transcend all this)
- The journey of the soul: The path of light and the path of darkness.
- Through meditation and devotion the seeker ultimately attains Self Realization and spiritual liberation.
Course Description:
Since the beginning of the Pandemic, a group of spiritual seekers have gathered weekly to receive inspiration, solace, and comfort from the sublime teachings of Lord Krishna to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita. This group now feels like a small spiritual family, but we are also eager to welcome more members to the family.
Our group gathers every Tuesday at 7 PM ET to study the verses of the Bhagavad Gita. We chant in Sanskrit, read the English translation, and then discuss the commentaries from Swami Sivananda and of Adi Shankaracharya.
We dedicate about 8 weeks to each chapter before moving on to the next chapter.
Although the courses are divided into chapters, the course structure is set up so that you may join us at any time, even if you are not familiar with the Bhagavad Gita. Each 8-week course starts with an introduction to the Gita, and a summary of the previous chapters.
As we bathe in this ancient wisdom we are amazed to discover how much of it is relevant to our modern life. The Gita is really our companion for life. It gives us direction, inspiration, and solace.
No matter what we do throughout the week, whether we experience success and joy or failure and disappointment, we still make it a point to show up on Tuesday night and support each other in this spiritual journey called life.
We hope that you will join our spiritual family by joining the next course.
This next course focuses on the 8th chapter, which is called: The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman.
The following guest presenters will speak during the course. These experts will help students to get a broader and deeper perspective of the transformative and inspiring teachings of the 8th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo will join us and share about the art of dying skillfully (for which
one needs to have previously lived skillfully of course). She will also speak on the dying process and the state of Tukdam (meditation on the clear light at time of death wherein the body does not decompose). Finally, she will share about Powa which is the ejection of the consciousness through the cranium at the time of death. Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo became a Buddhist while still in her teens. At the age of 20, she traveled to India and become one of the first Westerners to be ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist nun.
Dr. Menas Kafatos
Dr. Menas Kafatos will share about the similarities and differences between
Vedic cosmology and modern cosmology regarding the creation and the age of the
universe. Dr. Kafatos is a quantum physicist, cosmologist, and climate-change researcher who works extensively on consciousness
Krishna Darshan
Krishna Darshan, a direct disciple of Swami Vishnudevananda, has been a yoga and meditation teacher for more than 32 years. He has an in-depth knowledge of hatha yoga, Raja Yoga, and Vedanta philosophy. He is a certified jyotish consultant and tutor by the American College of Vedic Astrology and the Council of Vedic Astrology. In this course, he will share about the two paths of the soul – Uttarayana and Dakshinayana (the path of the sun and the path of the moon).
Dr. Eben Alexander
Dr. Eben Alexander is a neurosurgeon, professor, and author of the bestselling book Proof of Heaven. He will share about his own near death experience, the sound Om, and his realization of consciousness being the fundamental nature of Reality. Dr. Alexander was an academic neurosurgeon for over 25 years, including 15 years at the Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School in Boston, with a passionate interest in physics and cosmology.
Additional Information:
Offered as 10 weekly sessions on Tuesdays, June 29, July 6, 13, 20, 27, Aug 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31, 7:00-8:30pm ET
This program is offered live through Zoom webinar with the availability for students to interact through Q&A with the presenter.
For enrolled students, a video recording will be available after each class in the event you miss a class or would like to review the content.
It is possible to register and take the course at any time. You can catch up on any classes you miss with the recordings.
Requirements and Recommendations:
- No experience necessary. This program is open to beginners as well as advanced practitioners.
- Viewing Device: Desktop or laptop computer will provide the best experience, although you can also connect via a tablet or smartphone.
- Internet connection: High-speed broadband wired or wireless is best.
- Video: Download Zoom to your computer, or install the Zoom app to your device. For interactive group sessions, a webcam or integrated camera will allow others to feel more connected with you.
- Audio: Headphone speakers are recommended. If you wish to participate vocally, a headset with a microphone will be ideal.
Course Includes:
- 15 hours of on-demand video
- Bhagavad Gita – translation and commentary by Swami Sivananda
- Course Manual
Rukmini Chaitanya
Rukmini Chaitanya is a senior staff member of the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas, and the personal assistant to Swami Swaroopananda, the Acharya, or spiritual director of the Ashram. She regularly teaches the Bhagavad Gita during the Sivananda Yoga Teacher training as well as other courses on the Bhagavad Gita, Vedanta, positive thinking, meditation, and yoga philosophy.
Rukmini Chaitanya is known for her enthusiastic and inspiring teaching style as well as for her devotion to the lineage and the scriptures. She is dedicated to each of her students and has an innate desire to share knowledge with them. She brings a great deal of clarity to every topic and is highly appreciated for her capacity to unfold complicated topics and present them in a coherent and pure way.