In this episode of the podcast, we share an excerpt from the 30-Day Sādhana on the topic of bhāva, a Sanskrit word which has a number of different meanings, including emotion, being, becoming, and denotes a state of things that we bring into being through practice. It grounds a theory of imagination that is both illuminating and empowering. It grounds our understanding of how and why visualization practices are effective. It is a central theoretical concept that we're exploring as we investigate the yoga text, the Matsyendrasaṃhitā, throughout the 30 days of the challenge.

If you're interested in the 30-Day Sādhana, you can find more information here: https://enroll.embodiedphilosophy.com/chakra-sadhana

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Jason Birch is a scholar of medieval haṭha yoga and a founding member of SOAS's Centre for Yoga Studies. His research includes locating and translating early yoga manuscripts, and preparing critical editions, such as of the Amaraugha.

In this episode, Jason and Jacob discuss:

• what inspired Jason to pursue the study of Sanskrit texts
• the historical importance of the Amaraugha, a 12th century text attributed to Gorakṣanātha
• the account of 4 yogas discussed in the text
• what mantra, laya, haṭha and rāja yoga practices looked like for the yoga tradition associated with the Amaraugha
• the relationship between Buddhist and Śaiva yogas
• what this corpus of haṭha yoga texts might mean for modern practitioners
• how the forthcoming translations of haṭha yoga texts could enrich the landscape of yoga study

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Shambhavi Sarasvati is the spiritual director of Jaya Kula, a nonprofit community in Portland, Oregon. Her principle training is in the View and practices of Trika Shaivism—also called Kashmir Shaivism—and the Dzogchen tradition of Tibet.

Shambhavi is known for her humor and for making complex teachings about the nature of the self and reality understandable, practical, and always relevant to our lived experience. Her teachings are grounded in forty years of study, daily practice, and personal retreats.

Shambhavi holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Mills College and a Ph.D. in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University. She is the author of six books about spiritual life and practice.

In this episode, Shambhavi and Jacob discuss:

• how the war on Gaza amounts to a crack in time that is fundamentally reorienting us in this moment
• our relationship with the "other"
• how the nature of reality is a dynamic play of "wisdom-virtue"
• what the Mahabharata has to teach us about the war in Gaza
• how we each can connect to our own unique impulse to be of service in this moment
• the obstacles people encounter that keep them from speaking up, and how to move through those obstacles
• how to embody the "wisdom of the heart"

Shambhavi has created a reading list as a resource for those interested in deepening their understanding around the historical and political circumstances between Isreal and Palestine. You can find that reading list here: https://jayakula.craft.me/palestine-learning

Shambhavi and the Jaya Kula community gather for satsang and kirtan every Sunday at 3:30pm Pacific. Satsang is live in Portland Oregon and live-streamed. Visit jayakula.org for more information.

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