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Vishoka Meditation Self-Mastery Series

Vishoka Meditation Self-Mastery Series

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Check out our various upcoming programs—we're sure there's something to inspire you

Program Calendar
Registration Closed

Vishoka Meditation Self-Mastery Series

March 3—July 6, 2023
Sandra AndersonIshan TigunaitPandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
With Himalayan Institute Core Faculty

Registration for this event has closed

Check out our various upcoming programs—we're sure there's something to inspire you

Program Calendar

The practice of Vishoka Meditation reveals a living experience which can illuminate and enrich the breadth of our life—from our yoga practice and personal wellness, to our lifestyle and worldview. Unlocking this potential requires that we study and practice the broader system of Vishoka Meditation, integrating a range of related practices and source wisdom.

The Vishoka Meditation Level 1 Self-Mastery Series is practice-driven, and designed specifically for students who have already completed the Vishoka Meditation Course, to help you take the next step on your journey of Vishoka Meditation.

This 3-part series with Panditji and Ishan Tigunait is an immersive 50-hour online course spread across 4 months. It systematically integrates a sophisticated set of practice techniques and self-reflection source wisdom, so you can assimilate these teachings into your life and practice.

Each week you will receive a few on-demand lecture or practice sessions, along with any handouts or supplemental materials that go with the sessions. The curriculum is progressive, and each week builds upon what has already been taught. Every few weeks, there will be a live weekly session for question and answer and dialogue to help assimilate the material covered thus far.

In the Vishoka Meditation Self-Mastery Series you will:
  • Refine and expand your practice by:
    • Deepening your Vishoka Meditation practice through greater proficiency in pranic awareness.
    • Preparing you for advanced Vishoka Meditation offerings (this series will be a prerequisite for the Vishoka Meditation Level 2 Course coming in August 2023)
    • Learning how to apply Vishoka Meditation and pranic absorption to enrich your practice of yoga: asana, pranayama, relaxation/yoga nidra.
  • Bring the benefits of Vishoka Meditation into your daily life through Vishoka Meditation-inspired self-reflection and worldview
  • Dive into the source wisdom of the Vishoka Meditation system to help you understand how Vishoka Meditation works, and how to further optimize your practice
Program Topics, Practices, and Features:

  • Exploring abhyasa and sthiti (YS 1:2, 1:3, 1:12, 1:13) and their relationship to pranic awareness, in context to Vishoka Meditation.
  • Infusing our asana practice with the power of pranic awareness
    • In-depth study of Yoga Sutra 2:46-48 in light of the abhyasa/sthiti, and applying it to the practice of asana and Vishoka Meditation
    • Experience and apply pranic flow of awareness to your asana, and explore the unique qualities of the pranic flow associated with inhalation and exhalation
    • Follow the pranic thread from point to point in asana to expand your awareness of inner space, and refine pranic awareness.
    • In-depth exploration of prayatna shaithilya (effortlessness) and ananta-samapatti (absorption in the Infinite) (YS 2:47) in theory and practice, in context to asana and their relationship to Vishoka Meditation and pranic absorption.
    • Explore the manipura chakra as the pranic hub of the body, its role in pranic concentration, and its relationship to the ajna chakra and Vishoka Meditation.
    • Work with different expressions of agni sara to experience pranic concentration at the manipura chakra.
  • Exploring pranic absorption (prana sampatti) as a continuum of experience from pranic sensitivity to pranic awareness to pranic collection to pranic concentration.
    • In-depth study of Yoga Sutra 2:49-2:55, and their role in revealing the continuum of experience known as pranic absorption, and their application to Vishoka Meditation.
    • Exploring pranic sensitivity (prana anusandhana), pranic awareness (prana samvedana) and pranic collection (prana sanchaya) through several classical pranayamas and asana/pranayama fusion practices.
    • Cultivating breath awareness and pranic sensitivity at soft palate, and its role in pranic awareness at the ajna chakra.
    • Understanding pranic containment through kumbhaka pranayama and its role in pranic absorption and the Vishoka Meditation system—preparations and foundational practice of kumbhaka pranayama.
  • Deepening the experience of flow of awareness through inner space through prayatna shaithilya, ananta samapatti, and pranic absorption.
    • Understanding YS 2:47 in context to savasana-based pranic awareness practices and Vishoka Meditation
    • Understanding the relationship between pranayama, pratyahara and savasana-based pranic practices.
    • Refinements to the flow of awareness and the 75-breath practices in light of pranic absorption and YS 2:47
    • Application of YS 2:47 and Vishoka Meditation to enrich relaxation and yoga nidra techniques
  • Refining your experience of the complete practice of Vishoka Meditation:
    • In light of pranic absorption and YS 2:47, 2:51-55
    • By incorporating the asana and pranayama techniques taught in this Series into your Vishoka Meditation practice sequence
    • As a preparation and bridge from Vishoka Meditation Level 1 to Level 2.

  • The relationship between Vishoka Meditation and self-reflection
    • Understanding the subtle obstacles which prevent our practice of Vishoka meditation from deepening, and learning how we can transform these obstacles through abhyasa, vairagya and self-reflection
    • The role of self-reflection in understanding the nature and sources of shoka, and how this understanding can help our experience of vishoka mature
  • Vishoka Meditation as the union of abhyasa and vairagya
    • The mutually supportive relationship between abhyasa and vairagya in context to Vishoka Meditation
    • A classical understanding of vairagya (YS 1:15) and its relationship to the vritti-samskara-chakra (wheel of karma) and our self-identity
    • Optimizing your practice of Vishoka Meditation through self-reflection, self-discipline, and non-attachment
  • A systematic practice of self-reflection leading to Vishoka-illuminated self-identity
    • Retaining the state of vishoka while living in the world through the practice of the yamas and niyamas (enriched by the practice of YS 2:33) in context to vairagya and self-reflection.
    • Restoring and retaining the clarity of our mind and self-reflection through application of the 4 yogic attitudes (YS 1:33) and kushalam (skillfulness)
    • The intersection of self-discipline (anushasanam) and yogic lifestyle—a deeper exploration of yukta (purposeful, yogic balance) in light of self reflection
  • Understanding how Vishoka Meditation empowers self-reflection, purposeful engagement with the world and and enlightened worldview
    • The relationship between pranic absorption, jyotishmati and svadhyaya
    • Investing the capacity gained through pranic absorption and Vishoka Meditation to enliven self-reflection
    • How to bridge the gap between our inner experience of vishoka, and our desire to experience vishoka in our external life.
    • Harnessing the power of Vishoka Meditation and self-reflection to purposefully engage with the world
    • Glimpses of lasting fulfillment and Higher Reality (bhoga and apavarga) through self-reflection and Vishoka Meditation

  • Fully assimilate the practices and wisdom from Part 1 and Part 2 through systematic, time-bound practice, and prepare yourself for Vishoka Meditation Level 2.
  • The intensity and specific focus of your 40-day practice can be customized based on personal capacity and your needs.
  • The 40-day practice intentionally sequences and integrates Vishoka Meditation with the pranic awareness practices and self-reflection techniques we covered in Part 1 and 2 of this Series.
  • During each weekly session we’ll focus on a different aspect of pranic awareness and self-reflection, in context to Vishoka Meditation, which ties into that week’s homework assignment.
  • You’ll receive a daily practice assignment incorporating asana, pranayama, relaxation and Vishoka Meditation for that week that progressively builds towards a richer experience. This will be enhanced by weekly self-reflection exercises that could include contemplation, journaling, or lifestyle experiments.
  • The weekly session is a combination of a brief lecture and dialogue about key themes from previous week’s practice, and a guided practice session of that week’s daily practice assignment.
  • The goal of the 40-day practice is to systematically deepen your experience of Vishoka Meditation, enrich your self-identity with vishoka, and infuse your life with this experience.

Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD

Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD, is a modern-day master and living link in the unbroken Himalayan Tradition. He is the successor to Sri Swami Rama of the Himalayas, and the spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute. As the author of numerous books, including his autobiography Touched by Fire: The Ongoing Journey of a Spiritual...
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Ishan Tigunait

Growing up at the Himalayan Institute, Ishan Tigunait received his first spiritual lessons from Swami Rama of the Himalayas, and has continued his spiritual education for the past 30 years under the guidance of his father, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait. Ishan serves as Executive Director of the Himalayan Institute, and has been a...
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Sandra Anderson

Senior faculty at the Himalayan Institute, Sandy teaches yoga, meditation, and philosophy, and is a key instructor in the Institute's teacher training programs. She is the coauthor of the award-winning book, Yoga Mastering the Basics, and a frequent contributor to the Himalayan Institute's online Wisdom Library. Her work dr...
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Himalayan Institute Retreat Center

For more than fifty years, the Himalayan Institute’s Retreat Center has been a gathering place for people seeking inspiration and aspiring to restore inner balance. Home to a vibrant community of yogis, it’s a place for seekers wishing to study the ancient tradition of yoga and to deepen the connection between themselves and the world around them. Whether you visit for a weekend retreat, a personal getaway, or one of our longer-term programs, your visit to the Himalayan Institute will accelerate your personal journey of rejuvenation and transformation.
Free Wifi
400-Acre Campus
On-Site Cafe
Meditation Shrine
Wooded Hiking Trails
Pond with Kayaks
On-Site Wellness Center
Bonfires and Stargazing
Bookstore and Giftshop

Retreat Center Highlights

Sacred Space
The Sri Vidya Shrine is the spiritual heart of the Himalayan Institute. This sanctuary offers an ideal setting for silent meditation and group spiritual practice, a cornerstone of the Himalayan Tradition for thousands of years. Open to seekers of all backgrounds and traditions, the Shrine provides a serene, sacred space for meditation, quiet reflection, prayer, and contemplation.
Nourishing Meals
Our nutritionally balanced vegetarian meals are thoughtfully prepared to nourish body, mind, and spirit. Each of our three daily meals is designed to be easily digestible and to support a meditative lifestyle. Sharing meals here naturally fosters connection, offering both deep nourishment and a sense of community.
Loving Community
The Himalayan Institute welcomes people from all walks of life. With a blend of short-term guests, long-term visitors, and a vibrant residential community, the atmosphere here is warm, inviting, and rooted in kindness, generosity, and service. It’s a place where friendships form naturally, often becoming the kind of connections that feel like family, and last a lifetime.
Rest in Nature
Nestled in the rolling hills of the Poconos, the Himalayan Institute’s 400-acre campus offers breathtaking views, scenic hiking trails, and quiet spaces for reflection and contemplation. Walking is a favorite activity, whether along our groomed trails or meandering paved roads, inviting both movement and mindful presence in nature.
Conscious Simplicity
At the Himalayan Institute, we embrace simplicity in all aspects of life, from our surroundings to our approach to yoga. By minimizing distractions, we create space to strengthen the inner self and quiet the mind. Guided by authenticity and grounded in philosophy rather than frills, we support a path of meaningful personal growth.
Treat Yourself
Our Himalayan Café serves the Institute’s signature chai, coffee, and homemade cookies and treats on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The 24/7 Tea Lounge offers a variety of herbal teas for anytime enjoyment. On campus, the MOKA Origins Factory is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering handcrafted, ethically sourced chocolate and coffee, with free tours and tastings on Saturdays.
Date
March 3—July 6, 2023
Duration
126 days, 125 nights
Teachers
Himalayan Institute Core Faculty
$799 per person + accommodations

Registration

Dates
Friday, March 3, 2023–Thursday, July 6, 2023
Tuition
$799 per person + accommodations
Campus Info
Need Help?
Call us: (570) 253-5551

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