Tree of Yoga

Explore with us the Tree of Yoga and travel from its modern limbs and manifestations back down through the connected limbs, down the trunk and back even further into the roots of the Tree: Stoneage Shamanism.

An integral part of all classical schools of yoga is their lineage, or a tracing of their roots from teacher to teacher to teacher. The importance of a lineage to any tradition is that, due to the interplay of different perspectives brought together by generations of teachers, the teachings automatically encompass subtle breadth and depth—a merging of awakening minds. The presence of lineage guarantees a transmission of the most essential and subtle experience of yoga, which otherwise can be missed in the shadow of the ego.

Create your own drawing of the Tree of Yoga, as you see Yoga today in 2020. Learn to trace the principles and teachings to the teachers they sprang from, identify the commonalities and the differences.

Then create your own drawing of your personal Tree of Yoga, drawing your teachers and guiding influencers on your Tree! What are you rooted in? What is your foundation? What are you reaching out to ...?

Often, The Tree of Yoga is associated with Iyengar, and his book. Here however, we are referring to the history and geneology of modern day yoga back to the roots.

Learn what is known about the origins of the Yoginis, from their Vedic origins and "The Kiss of the Yogini". The Yoginis whose cults were central to Kaula practice were known as human female witches, identified in ritual practice. Their power was intimately connected to the flow of blood, both their own menstrual and sexual emissions. They were essential to Tantric initiation in which they initiated male practitioners through fluid transactions via their "mouths". They were possessed of the power of flight. They took the form of humans, animals or birds, and often inhabited trees. (Quite likely all related to the medicine of the Queen of the Forest). They were often arrayed in circles. Their temples were generally located in isolated areas, on hilltops and were usually round (like our Shakti Dome in its Forest hilltop location).

Our focus in exploring the Tree of Yoga is to examine with fresh eyes and open vessels what is true and what may further be revealed about the past branches, that we may clearly chart our future aspirations.