Online Program

Amplify Voices of the Global Majority The Roots of Yoga

Image
2024 Amplify Members

About The Series

We are excited to introduce the third summit in our online Amplify Series, focusing on the Roots of Yoga. 

Throughout history, voices of the Global Majority––Black, Indigenous, and People of Color––have been at the forefront of breaking down barriers of systemic issues that affect both the planet and humanity while ushering in radical change, whether that has been bringing yoga to the West or fighting for justice on the front lines.

Join us for a transformative journey where we passionately embrace the theme "The Roots of Yoga" with a dedicated focus on centering South Asian voices in exploring the profound evolution of yoga in the West. Our carefully curated lineup of presenters ensures a diverse range of perspectives, providing a platform for underrepresented voices to share their wisdom and experiences. 

What To Expect

Through conversations, interactive sessions, embodied practices, and more, we will:

  • Explore the historical and cultural roots of yoga, and the sacred traditions of South Asia.
  • Bridge the gap between the origins of yoga and its contemporary expressions in the West.
  • Address the importance of inclusivity, social justice, and equity within the yoga community.
  • Understand how yoga can be a powerful tool for positive change and collective well-being.
  • Honor the past and present as we look ahead to the future of yoga in the Western world. 
  • Recognize the interconnectedness of yoga with broader social and cultural issues.

This week-long online experience offers a holistic and immersive experience and invites you to be part of a groundbreaking exploration that goes beyond the physical postures of yoga and connect with the heart and soul of this ancient practice. Together, let us honor the roots of yoga—celebrating its diversity, unity, and transformative power in the West and beyond. 

NOTE Kripalu is delivering this livestream experience through a third party platform. When you purchase this program, you will be sent to union.fit and asked to create an account to complete your purchase and receive further details on accessing the program. All sales are final. All recordings will be available within 72 hours of the end of each session. You will have access to the video recording for 30 days after the program ends. Folks will have access to these programs as a part of the Kripalu Online Studio on demand library for one year. 


About Amplify's Host and Artist-in-Residence

Host Kaveri Barros is an Ayurvedic Health Counselor in Kripalu's Healing Arts Department. Kaveri has a unique and diverse cultural and professional background which drives her passion to help others. Rooted in her Indian heritage, she shares holistic and Vedic wisdom to enrich people's well-being.

Artist-in-Residence Chetna Mehta will weave the creation of a digital piece of art that represents the essence of the material presented in the Amplify series. She invites the Amplify community to join her along the journey as she shares her progress and guides you to engage with the subject matter. With faith that her human experience is not hers alone, Chetna creates digital illustrations and prints that embolden themes of interdependence, diversity, fierce compassion, and liberation. 


Explore the Schedule

Monday, May 6

Session One
6:00–7:00 pm | Amplifying the Roots of Yoga Through the Bhagavad Gita with Acharya Shunya
An opportunity to deepen your understanding and connect to the roots of yoga for a more inclusive and authentic experience.

Session Two
7:30–8:30 pm | When Ganesh is the Obstacle: How Adversity Can Propel Your Life Forward with Hawah Kasat
The ancient story of Ganesh is an inspiration for millions of people; learn how it was the obstacle to Hawah discovering his ancestral roots and family legacy.

Tuesday, May 7

Session Three
6:00–7:00 pm | Befriending Yourself and Dismantling Perfectionism with ​Tejal Patel 
Understand the roots of what holds us back and identify how dominant culture today enforces and supports perfectionist tendencies.

Session Four
7:30–8:30 pm | Importance of Yama and Niyama in Everyday Life with Dr. Anusha Sehgal
Explore how the yamas and niyamas are important for cultivating good mental and physical well-being.

Wednesday, May 8

Session Five
6:00–7:00 pm | Trauma of Caste: Healing from Dharmic Traditions of Casteism with Thenmozhi Soundararajan
Examine caste from a feminist, abolitionist, and Dalit Buddhist perspective—and understand how it impacts dharmic lineages. 

Session Six
7:30–8:30 pm | In Search of The Wild Yogini: Retracing the Indigenous Roots of Yoga with Pooja Prema
Learn about the untamed yoginis and Adivasi communities from which yoga evolved, in this unconventional and radical perspective on the roots of yoga.

Thursday, May 9

Session Seven
4:30–5:30 pm | Dream a New Dream, Live a New Story: Weaving the Path of Bhakti Yoga with Amber Chand
Understand how the principles of bhakti yoga shape the story we tell in today's world using the path of the Seven Lanterns.

Session Eight
6:00–7:00 pm | Bhakti and Music in Yoga with Mx Puja Singh
Learn how music shows up in the yogic traditions and explore the practice of kirtan through history, theory, and practice.

Session Nine
7:30–8:30 pm I Adversity to Opportunity: Lessons for Navigating a Turbulent World from an Ancient Wisdom Tradition with Pandit Rajmani Tigunait and Ishan Tigunait
Explore the principles as taught by the ancient masters like Buddha and Patanjali to gain practical self-mastery and cultivate positive change.

For full program descriptions, please visit union.fit.


Program at a Glance

Yoga Experience
None
Suitable For
All
Program Theme
All Yoga

Presenter(s)

Acharya Shunya is an internationally renowned spiritual teacher, author, and scholar of Advaita (nondual wisdom) and an award-winning and classically trained master of yoga and Ayurveda.

Full Bio and Programs

Dr. Anusha Sehgal, BAMS, MD, is a classically trained Ayurvedic physician with over 20 years of experience in education, clinical practice, and research.

Full Bio and Programs

Kaveri Barros is an Ayurvedic Health Counselor in Kripalu's Healing Arts Department.

Full Bio and Programs

Thenmozhi Soundararajan is a Dalit American artist, community organizer, technologist, theorist, and author of The Trauma of Caste: A Dalit Feminist Meditation on Survivorship, Healing, and Abolition.

Full Bio and Programs

Hawah Kasat is an artist, author, educator, community organizer, and yogi. For over two decades, he has been teaching yoga, mindfulness, social-emotional literacy, conflict transformation, the healing arts, and trauma-informed care to all types of students from around the globe.

Full Bio and Programs

Chetna Mehta is a multidisciplinary artist, alchemist, facilitator, founder of Mosaiceye Collective, and a granddaughter of Indian and South African diasporas.

Full Bio and Programs

Amber Chand is a visionary guide, global storyteller, author, and inspirational speaker whose programs and retreats offer a potent vision for living into a new story from a place of courageous love, fearless imagination, and enlivened wisdom.

Full Bio and Programs

Tejal Patel is a first-generation Indian American yoga teacher, writer, podcaster, and community organizer.

Full Bio and Programs

Pooja Prema is an Indian-American performing artist, facilitator, writer and cultural activist whose 18-year career has spanned multiple mediums, weaving together the realms of the spiritual, personal, and political in service to honoring and preserving the wisdom heritage of her ancestors.

Full Bio and Programs

Mx Puja Singh (aka Puja Singh Titchkosky) is a queer, non-binary trans, Indian-Canadian, singer, songwriter, producer, drag artist, and yoga/meditation/music teacher based in Los Angeles, California.

Full Bio and Programs

Pandit Rajmani Tigunait is the spiritual head and chairman of the Himalayan Institute and the successor of Swami Rama of the Himalayas.

Full Bio and Programs

Ishan Tigunait received his first spiritual lessons from Swami Rama of the Himalayas, and has continued his spiritual education for the past 30 years under the guidance of his father, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait.

Full Bio and Programs

Registration is closed.

Visit the presenter's bio page for their next program, or view a calendar of our current program offerings.

413.448.3152

HOW TO PLAN YOUR VISIT

ONLINE TERMS AND CONDITIONS


Need help? Call Us: 413.448.3152