Elementary Navigation

Elementary navigation is a course that lays a large part of the solid foundation that is needed for all spiritual work to become — and remain to be — fruitbearing. It is about navigating: choosing which direction to take within any given life situation.

Although we are dealing with morality in this course, we will not be telling you how to behave. That would be too dogmatic. Rather we will help you develop your own, ever-evolving moral compass (Yama). We will show you the dynamics of how to work wisely with ideals and what they can bring you (Niyama). And we will show you how the dynamics of being in trouble work — and how to move back out of it (Klesha).

To do these three things we will use three ‘ladders’ (yama, niyama, klesha) that were given by the famous Yogi Patañjali. Alongside, we will also be dealing with a number of other pieces of instruction from Patañjali’s Yogasūtraṇi.

Part of the Foundation Level, this is the starter course for all participants in this level. We strongly recommend all students to start with its teachings on yama and niyama.

This course also focusses on pratyāhāra. Pratyahara is the art of detachment. This means you learn to withdraw your attention from all streams of energy within and without. Like a tortoise drawing in its head and limbs.

Preface written by Māntrikadeva. All other parts of this course were written by Vādāsana.