Foundational Coursework: Empowering Engagement

Foundational Content: Yoga Psychology & the Subtle Body

The foundational content of the Yoga Psychology Program establishes a comprehensive understanding of yoga psychology as an embodied, relational, and experiential discipline. Grounded in the classical foundations of yoga, this coursework introduces students to the philosophical, energetic, and somatic frameworks that inform therapeutic application.

Students study traditional yoga philosophy, including the Yoga Sūtras and foundational concepts of the mind, habit, and liberation, alongside tantric and chakra-based models that illuminate the relationship between consciousness, energy, and lived experience. Through chakraology, students explore the psychological, developmental, and behavioral dimensions of the subtle body, understanding how energy patterns influence mood, perception, and action.

This foundation integrates tantric perspectives on embodiment and wholeness, emphasizing yoga as a lived practice rather than a purely cognitive framework. Somatic movement and breath-based inquiry are introduced as primary tools for accessing and reorganizing the nervous system, cultivating interoception, and supporting sustainable change.

Throughout this foundational study, students are invited to bridge ancient tradition with modern therapeutic understanding, developing literacy in both classical language and contemporary application. The result is a grounded framework that supports ethical, effective yoga therapy practices rooted in tradition, subtle anatomy, and embodied awareness.