One of the things Dr. Welch has found of great importance in her study of Indian knowledge systems like Ayurveda, is the value of learning an Eastern subject in an Eastern way, instead of the Western way so many outside of India go about it. One of the ways we can do this is learn context. Drs. Claudia and Ramkumar co-facilitate Vedic Threads–a twice-monthly membership-based course, hosted by Satsangam, and shared with guest instructors and you. Together, we explore the cultural, scientific and philosophical context in which Indian knowledge systems like Ayurveda and yoga exist. We do this through exploring concepts that weave through Indian knowledge systems–and life in general.
There are hundreds of such shared concepts. Here’s a small sampling of topics we’ve explored in past sessions:
- Prāṇa vs. śakti within the context of Ayurveda vs. traditional dance or martial arts
- Mantra in Vedic recitation vs. kirtan
- Rāga (desire, attachment) as both cause and cure disease
- Pañca Mahā Yajña: 5 Major Sacrifices
- Kalā (The Arts), Rasa (Emotion) and Rasika (The Ones Imbued with Emotion): The Arts & The Lovers
- The Heart & The Mind According to Sufism, Ayurveda and Yoga
- Tāla: Rhythmic Measure in Art, Architecture, Music and Dance
- Pañca Mahā Yajña: 5 Major Sacrifices; Vijayalakshmi Vijayakumar
- Prāṇa, the Mind and Haṭha Yoga; Robert Moses & Scott Blossom
- Rāga, Remedies & Constellations; Allison Dennis
We plan to explore many more kalās (arts), vidyās (sciences), teachers, texts and traditions of India and concepts that relate to all of them, gain insight into how they are employed within various Vedic knowledge systems, and how they can be meaningfully incorporated into our chosen subjects (Ayurveda, Yoga) and our lives in general.
This kind of exploration can help deepen our understanding of our chosen subject, connect us to related subjects and sometimes have a glimpse into the Oneness behind the variety. For an introduction into the interconnectedness of Vedic knowledge systems, and why this is important scroll down on the Life Map page to see a video session with Drs. Ramkumar and Welch.
Join Drs. Ramkumar and Welch, world-class instructors, and sincere, curious participants from around the world for intimate, enlightening conversations around these sorts of topics in this twice-monthly, live, online Vedic Threads membership and receive access to over 100 hours of past sessions.
Course Structure
This course is scheduled to meet twice a month for roughly 1.5 hours, on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month for 90 minutes starting at 10:00am ET (New York time). Schedule details are available upon registration, on your main classroom page. Drs. Ramkumar and Claudia both intend to be present at all sessions and in many sessions we will also enjoy the company of distinguished guest instructors.
