The beginning of understanding: Sankhya yoga

by Jessica Girija Jewell

When Arjuna is overcome with anxiety on the eve of the Mahabharata war, he confides in his divine friend Krishna who first advises him to get over his feelings and "just do it."

However, as Arjuna drops deeper into despair and the direction to get over it fails, Krishna changes his tune.

With the insight of someone who's been there, Krishna sighingly illuminates the problem. The problem is not the war, no. The problem is that Arjuna and the other warriors have forgotten who they are. This forgetting is the heart of his ache.

Krishna goes on to rousingly remind Arjuna who he is, who everyone is — and it begins with Sankhya yoga.

Sankhya yoga describes the journey from consciousness to form and back again. It's a simple and elegant model that provides a framework for understanding everything about the nature of life: our life, the lives of our loved and unloved ones, and life on planet Earth.

The first evening of Awaken: A Weekend Yoga Immersion will be dedicated to a presentation on and discussion of Sankhya yoga. You might want to attend this immersion if you:

🍃Sometimes struggle like Arjuna with grief or despair and long to gain a new perspective or deepen your understanding of what you already know.

📿Love yoga practice and are curious about the philosophy that informs it — which will enrich your practice in ways we can't predict. But it will be enriched, for sure.

☀️Want more community and connection to support your yoga practice on and off the mat.

Please reach out with questions if you need help deciding if this is for you.