Free Trial

Into the Depths

an immersion like no other

begins sept 9, 2023

 

T H E  Y O G A  O F   R E F L E C T I O N


 

2023 - 2024

 

This course is a sacred inquiry into the depths of the soul.  The intention is to uncover the truth of yoga, not as told by this or that tradition, but as revealed to the open heart.  The truth of yoga is already inside of us, and our task is simply to unearth it and bring it to light.

This is an arduous process and one that we can never finally complete, but must sustain throughout our entire lives, at the risk of stagnation.  To undergo it gracefully, we must become a light to ourselves.  We must forgo reliance on external authorities and listen to the wisdom of our hearts.   Only then can we begin to know ourselves in the original sense. And this is what yoga is all about.

To know ourselves is not to know something abstract and impersonal. It is not to know something that we can learn about in books (those can only tell us what other people think.) Rather, it is to have an immediate awareness of something divine, something that is unfolding for each one of us uniquely, and manifesting as a living, breathing reality.

To support this process, to keep ourselves open enough, supple enough, and steady enough to bear it without collapse--this is the purpose of yoga practice. In this course, we engage in the yoga practice of reflection, the practice of sifting through the sands of our minds, uncovering our delusions, and making space for genuine understanding.

Our aim is not to realize this or that iconic spiritual principle, but to awaken our wild intelligence, and allow that intelligence to blossom, to take authentic expression in our lives. This alone can lead us into a fuller understanding of who we are. Through this noble act of alignment, we rediscover what yoga is, and what it can be.

*

The course centers on an exploration of Hatha mythology. It finds within that mythology a brilliant elaboration of an archetypal pattern of spiritual development, one that we can discover and explore on the medium of our own lives.

The course does not follow the dictates of any particular tradition. Instead, it draws insights from the comparative study of a multiplicity of traditions.  And it attempts to unlock the signs and symbols of Hatha mythology in the language of the soul. It celebrates the moment when the soul begins to speak, and listens for truth beyond ideological distinctions.

In this respect, the course stays aligned with the syncretic spirit of yoga. It offers a welcome refuge to those who would set down dogma and the burden of belief to follow the true path of yoga as reflection on what is.

Using a carefully curated selection of readings from Eastern and Western traditions, we study the ideas and images that spiritual explorers of the past have used to describe their own spiritual journey, and the insights that they have attempted to pass down for our own benefit.  By weaving their reflections with our own, we contemplate the nature of meditation, consciousness, embodiment, liberation, suffering, sorrow, compassion, trust, surrender and love.

Most importantly, we use our reflections to pose potent questions about the organization of our minds and the state of our awareness. We allow these questions to sink deep into our being, and we listen closely for answers.


*

The course involves a balance of weekly live talks, guided meditations, short assigned readings, reflective journal prompts and peer discussion groups. There are no exams or other pressures, and you can adjust your level of engagement as needed.  The course material remains posted all year long. And the community is there to inspire and support you when you need it most.

 

For questions, please email Rachel at [email protected]

enroll now

The Yoga of Reflection

 

This course is a sacred inquiry into the depths of the soul.  The intention is to uncover the truth of yoga, not as told by this or that tradition, but as revealed to the open heart.  The truth of yoga is already inside of us, and our task is simply to unearth it and bring it to light.

This is an arduous process and one that we can never finally complete, but must sustain throughout our entire lives, at the risk of stagnation.  To undergo it gracefully, we must become a light to ourselves.  We must forgo reliance on external authorities and listen to the wisdom of our hearts.   Only then can we begin to know ourselves in the original sense. And this is what yoga is all about.

To know ourselves is not to know something abstract and impersonal. It is not to know something that we can learn about in books (those can only tell us what other people think.) Rather, it is to have an immediate awareness of something divine, something that is unfolding for each one of us uniquely, and manifesting as a living, breathing reality.

To support this process, to keep ourselves open enough, supple enough, and steady enough to bear it without collapse--this is the purpose of yoga practice. In this course, we engage in the yoga practice of reflection, the practice of sifting through the sands of our minds, uncovering our delusions, and making space for genuine understanding.

Our aim is not to realize this or that iconic spiritual principle, but to awaken our wild intelligence, and allow that intelligence to blossom, to take authentic expression in our lives. This alone can lead us into a fuller understanding of who we are. Through this noble act of alignment, we rediscover what yoga is, and what it can be.

*

The course centers on an exploration of Hatha mythology. It finds within that mythology a brilliant elaboration of an archetypal pattern of spiritual development, one that we can discover and explore on the medium of our own lives.

The course does not follow the dictates of any particular tradition. Instead, it draws insights from the comparative study of a multiplicity of traditions.  And it attempts to unlock the signs and symbols of Hatha mythology in the language of the soul. It celebrates the moment when the soul begins to speak, and listens for truth beyond ideological distinctions.

In this respect, the course stays aligned with the syncretic spirit of yoga. It offers a welcome refuge to those who would set down dogma and the burden of belief to follow the true path of yoga as reflection on what is.

Using a carefully curated selection of readings from Eastern and Western traditions, we study the ideas and images that spiritual explorers of the past have used to describe their own spiritual journey, and the insights that they have attempted to pass down for our own benefit.  By weaving their reflections with our own, we contemplate the nature of meditation, consciousness, embodiment, liberation, suffering, sorrow, compassion, trust, surrender and love.

Most importantly, we use our reflections to pose potent questions about the organization of our minds and the state of our awareness. We allow these questions to sink deep into our being, and we listen closely for answers.


*

The course involves a weekly live talks, guided meditations, readings, reflective journal prompts and peer discussion groups. There are no exams or pressures, and you can adjust your level of engagement as needed.  The course material remains posted all year long. And the community is there to inspire and support you when you need it most.

 

For questions, please email Rachel at [email protected]

 

Tuition

$1550

 

Enroll Now

T  E  S  T  I  M  O  N  I  A  L  S 


 

TESTIMONIALS 


 

a note from your guide...


 

I am thrilled to announce the third iteration of Into the Depths, my extended immersion into the yogic process of reflection. This program continues to exceed my expectations. The level of engagement, the devotion of the community, the scope of transformation among the participants, all of this has been astonishing.

A sure sign of the success of the program is the volume of students who continue to enroll for a second or third consecutive year. There is a contagious passion here for exploring the wilderness of the soul, together with the loving support of our community. And like the experience of yoga, each pass is unprecedented, refreshing and new.

I want to emphasize that this is not an academic course. The aim is not to delineate all the diverse schools and lineages of yoga, much less to defend any particular ideological strain. Instead, we are interested in how diverse yogic myths (especially those of Siva and Sakti), yogic traditions (classical and tantric) and authors (old and new) can help us in elaborating a yoga that speaks to our hearts.

There are no requisites here, no exams, no accreditations, but something finer and more profound—an invitation to dive deep into the inner tradition of yoga with an amazing community of sincere seekers from around the world, who are ready to embrace the confusion, the heartache, and also the sublime wonder of being alive. If this pulls on the strings of your heart, you are absolutely welcome to join.

Over the last couple of months, I gave a series of three philosophical talks designed to prime you for the course, and answer any questions that you might have about its content and purpose. The recorded talks may be found towards the bottom of this page, labeled "The Myth of Kundalini". Enjoy.

warmly,
Ty

C  O  U  R  S  E   

O  V  E  R  V  I  E  W


 

Hatha Yoga follows an archetypal pattern of awakening, one that leads from the isolation of ordinary consciousness to the quiet bliss of communion with the creative forces that shape us from within. In the Hatha tradition, this pattern is symbolized by the rousing of kundalini, her burning ascent through the central axis of the body, and the reciprocal downpour of grace from the crown of the head. This course can be seen as an attempt to come to terms with that provocative image, and with the process of awakening that it represents.

The course comprises a total of 30 sessions over 8 months.  The sessions are loosely arranged into 6 modules.  Each module represents a different phase of the process of Hatha Yoga. As we pass through these phases, we explore the physiology, psychology and phenomenology that belongs to each, while using philosophical ideas to explore these phases in our own consciousness.

Module 1

F I N D I N G  G R O U N D

We begin by grounding awareness in the body, and a finding a sense of ease, not only with the organs and tissues, but within the deeper supportive structure of the psyche. 

Module 2

K I N D L I N G  T H E  F L A M E

This phase is about rousing the energy of spiritual aspiration, by contemplating the indignities of delusion and the promises of a living a fuller, more awakened life.

Module 3

T H E  B U R N I N G  A S C E N T

In this phase, we turn to more difficult themes. This module is about bringing the heat of awareness up from the depths of the psyche, and allowing old and stale things to burn.

Module 4

B L I S T E R I N G   I N S I G H T

Here we climb to one of the pinnacles of our path. This phase is all about untangling ourselves from the delusion of separate self, as well as the distortions of perfectionism.

Module 5

M E L T I N G

In this phase we turn to the devotional side of yoga. We contemplate the wisdom of walking the middle-path between theism and atheism, while learning to see our yogic practices as various forms of prayer.

Module 6

O P E N I N G   T O   B L I S S

In this phase, we contemplate the descent of grace, as the answer to our deepest spiritual longing. Then we surrender our spiritual fantasies to participate more fully in the deep revelry of life.

enroll now

COURSE STRUCTURE



On Mondays I release a new set of materials including:

• talk (usually about 20 min long)

• reading selection by pdf (40 mins of reading)

• journal prompts for reflection


On Saturdays we meet live to talk about the material.

4:00 PM - 5:30 PM CET. Typically, I talk for the first half of the session, then we open up. We will meet 30 times in all.  


You meet with your study group each week at an arranged time.

Study groups are optional, but highly recommended, because current students love them and find them enriching. 


All live sessions will be recorded and reposted.

The recordings will be added to the course page within 24 hours, so you can watch them later if you can't make it live.


 

COURSE STRUCTURE



On Mondays we release a new set of materials including:

  • talk (30 min long)
  • asana tutorial (about 30 mins)
  • reading list (about 60 mins of reading)
  • journal prompts for reflection


On Saturdays we talk together about the material.

15:00 WEST or 16:00 CET.  These are discussion sessions, where we talk about what we read or practiced. We meet 30 times in all.  


You meet with your Peer Pod group each week at an arranged time.

Peer Pods are optional, but highly recommended, because current students love them and find them very enriching. 

All live sessions will be recorded and reposted.

The recordings will be added to the course page within 24 hours, so you can watch them later if you can't make it live.

ENROLL
 
 
 

Meet Your Guide


Ty Landrum learned yoga from pain and heartache, loss and confusion, old books, lost tapes, full moons, long bouts of silence, cold winds, simplicity, forgiveness, surrender, and the caring words of a few good friends.

He draws inspiration from children, saffron, sage, carob, almonds, chocolate, wise women, gnarled old men, olive trees, deep rivers, steep mountains, quaking aspen, honeybees, love songs, sunrises, laughter and deep breath.

Ty has an unwavering love for this unique somatic discipline, which he began practicing back in 2005. With a formal background in philosophy (PhD University of Virginia), Ty has an unusual power for illuminating the dynamics of yoga with color and creativity.

Ty shares his love of yoga in studios and retreat centers around the world. He lives with his wife, Shayan, and their two wild children.

QUESTIONS

Don't see your question answered here? Reach out to us anytime at [email protected]

                                               

Request a Facetime call with Leila


 

Questions? Schedule a live call or FaceTime session with alumna, Leila A. Fortier, to answer all of your questions about Into the Depths.

Standard Rate

$1550 USD

Payment due September 9

 

 

 

 

 

Enroll Now

Payment Plan

$1550 USD

*Deposit due September 9

Payment Plan Option:

Place a $550 USD deposit, then pay the balance over 8 months; $125/month

*Deposit is non-refundable

 

Enroll Now

scholarships

If cost is prohibitive, scholarships are available. All scholarships typically require a financial commitment of 50%.

Please inquire with Rachel at [email protected]