About the Vedas
The Vedas are the oldest spiritual texts in the world, inspiring virtually all traditions that have emerged from the Indian subcontinent. The authors of these texts take no ownership over them; rather, the contents of the Vedas – song, poetry, and prose that speak to the sacred nature of reality – were “received” by the ancient seers in deep meditation. As received/inspired texts from the universe itself, the Veda are given preeminence in the Hindu tradition as the source material for the countless other practices and philosophies that have flourished over millennia.
The Vedas and our yoga practice
How are we to make sense of this as yoga practitioners? This is for everyone to decide for themselves… But sooner or later as students of yoga, it may be useful to consider the context from which yoga emerged. The first aim of the workshop will be to provide some of this context. Our conversation will be deeply enriched however with your own questions and perspective, and there will be time allotted for student-led discussion. The Veda are intended to be chanted, so the second portion of the class will introduce the traditional call-and-response method of learning a well-known Vedic mantra, Saha Navavatu.
About David
David Cross is a student of Shantala Sriramaih, who is herself a student of purohit Sri M.S. Sreenivasan of the Challakere family in the lineage of the Krishna Yajur Veda. David was inspired by the chanting of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras that often graces the Mysore room, and is excited to share in his own studentship.
