Philosophy by Numbers – Richard Rosen
Philosophy by Numbers – Richard Rosen
Exploring yogic ideas with contemporary resonance
Appears in this episode
Greetings from Nøsen, where I’m teaching this week at the Norwegian Yoga Festival!
It’s now more than six months since I launched Ancient Futures. I started by speaking to Richard Rosen about his book, Yoga by the Numbers. Back then, I didn’t have a podcast (it’s on YouTube), so I’m sharing it here for those who missed it – and it’s well worth revisiting.
We explore the significance of numbers – from zero to 108 – and have a great chat about the meaning of yoga in contemporary terms, as well as how its teachings relate to our lives – including facing the prospect of death. We also discuss whether “yoga philosophy” sounds off-putting, and if there are other ways to highlight ideas.
You can tune in above or via podcast platforms (where ratings and reviews are very helpful if you have a moment…). Richard used to contribute to Yoga Journal, about which I wrote last week. Subscribe here on Substack for regular articles as well as podcast episodes.
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Philosophy by Numbers – Richard Rosen
This was my second time through this recording. I would like to add to Daniel's "Sit down and shut up." My experience is to add the command, "... and listen." Making the transition from the practice of witnessing the breath to witnessing the citta, the mind and its components, is the most under utilized practice in yoga, yet one of the most important. I agree with Rosen that we are the mirror by which the divine consciousness Sees itself, including, you might say, talks to itself, if we are to listen. We can get divine-sourced answers if we can still the ego and manas chatter that is stimulated by our senses; practice disconnecting, as Krishna emphasizes. On the other hand, I find the idea of a life long yogic path to be helpful. Somewhere I came across the concept that dying was your wedding with the divine, which I've adopted.