M.A. in Yoga Studies - Low Residency

1. Graduates will gain knowledge of the Sanskrit language and the history and philosophy of Yoga traditions. 
2. Graduates will understand the human physiological experience from Western and Yogic perspectives, examining Yoga’s therapeutic outcomes.
3. Graduates will understand the healing effects of Yoga practices on the human body. 
4. Graduates will gain and apply knowledge of the spiritual and ethical dimensions of Yoga through a “whole person” approach.
5. Graduates will understand modern Yoga in the context of historical and sociological developments. 
6. Graduates will demonstrate effective research, evaluation, and writing skills on focused topics in Yoga and Yoga Therapy. 

Fall, Year 1

• YGST 6015 Foundations of Yoga Studies (3 semester hours)

          This course will investigate basic methodological approaches to the academic study of Yoga, with an emphasis on the place of Yoga within theological discourse. It will include a bibliographic survey of primary and secondary sources and engagement with key select resources. Field Trips to historic Yoga sites in Los Angeles and Ojai. In-person intensive convenes Mid-August.

• YGST 6010 Health Science and Yoga (3 semester hours)

          An overview of anatomy and physiology from the Western perspective and Ayurvedic theories of the subtle body, health, and wholeness.

•  YGST 6005  Sanskrit I (3 semester hours)

          An introduction to the Devanagari script and basic vocabulary and grammar of Sanskrit, the classical language of Yoga thought and practice.

Spring, Year 1

• YGST 6020 Yoga Philosophy: Text and Practice (3 semester hours)

          A close study and discussion of the Yoga Sūtras of Patanjali, the Bhagavad Gītā, select Upanishads, the Sāmkhya Kārikā, the Yogavāsistha, and other classical literature.  

• YGST 6026 Sanskrit II (3 semester hours)

          A continuation of Sanskrit grammar, with special attention given to verses from the Bhagavad Gītā which set forth the primary practices of philosophical and meditational Yoga, including the ways of Knowledge, Action, and Devotion. 

Summer

• YGST 6040 Buddhism and Yoga (3 semester units)

          Yoga's relationship with Buddhism will be explored with an emphasis on Vipassana, Tibetan Buddhism and Zen. 

OR

• YGST 6041 Jaina Yoga (3 semester units)

          This course will study the Jain traditions of Yoga including Preksha meditation and its emphasis on nonviolence. This course will also immerse the students in Jainism through philosophy, ethics, cosmology, and art. 

Fall, Year 2

• YGST 6025 Sanskrit III (3 semester hours)

          In this course students will translate the sutras and commentary from Patanjali's seminal text, the Yoga Sūtra.      

• YGST 6082 Comparative Mysticism (3 semester hours)

          In this class we will explore the inner or mystical life as articulated in the life and practice of various religious traditions. We will begin with a study of a modern classic: The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James, the pre-eminent American philosopher and psychologist as well as the key ideas of Carl Jung. We will then examine the Jewish and Islamic mystical traditions, as well as key writers in the emerging field of contemplative Christian ecology. Yoga and mysticism will be examined through the writings of 20th-century philosopher Sri Aurobindo.

Spring, Year 2

• YGST 6030 Hatha Yoga Texts (3 semester hours)

          This course will trace the history of Hatha Yoga through examination of classical texts such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipikā, the Gheranda Samhitā, and the Śiva Samhitā, with particular attention to practice applications. Requires demonstration of student teaching skills and commitment to a personal yoga practice.

Summer

• YGST 6040 Buddhism and Yoga (3 semester units)

          Yoga's relationship with Buddhism will be explored with an emphasis on Vipassana, Tibetan Buddhism, and Zen.

OR

• YGST 6041 Jaina Yoga (3 semester units)

          This course will immerse students in the study of Jainism, known for its emphasis on nonviolence, through philosophy, ethics, cosmology, and art. The course will include Jain traditions of Yoga including Preksha Meditation.

Fall, Year 3

• YGST 6055 Modern Yoga, Mindfulness, Social Change (3 semester hours)

         Yoga entered European and North American consciousness following Swami Vivekananda's lecture at the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893. In the 20th century, Paramahamsa Yogananda, Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Sivananda, Swami Krishnamacharya and many others introduced large groups of people to the principles and practices of Yoga. Buddhist meditation became popular in the mid-20th century through the work of Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzburg, and others. The course will explore this legacy and the effectiveness of these techniques in effecting Gandhian-inspired social change.  

Spring, Year 3

• YGST 6096 Writing and Research Seminar (3 semester hours)

          This course will guide the students as they write their final thesis. The course will aid them through the process by introducing research methods and writing techniques in order to complete a clear final thesis or research project. Students will be able to help one another as different phases of their given projects will be shared in class.