My contact and involvement with the Upaniṣat in the 1980’s, apart from the more usual casual contact through teachers quotes and vague readings in the 1970’s, was surprisingly through neither practice techniques nor textual study.

I actually became exposed to the Upaniṣat through the practice of chanting. In fact, the very first chant from the Veda that Desikachar taught me was the first verse from Chapter Two of the Taittirīyra Upaniṣat.

I still have a recording of my shaky attempts in that lesson from 1984. This extended over time to chanting the entire 31 chapters of the Taittirīyra Upaniṣat, and then included learning to chant other Upaniṣat.

Thus it was through Chanting that my relationship with the Upaniṣat deepened and the context and understanding of these texts were absorbed somewhat differently than I was expecting in terms of the more usual method of studying a text.

This then extended into the textual study of portions of some Upaniṣat with TKV Desikachar within a more general context, and then to a deep word-by-word exploration of chosen Upaniṣat through private lessons.

“As the spider moving upward by the thread obtains free space,
thus assuredly the meditator,
moving upward by the Mantra obtains Svatantra.”
– Maitrī Upaniṣad Chapter 6 verse 22

However, the Upaniṣat are a vast range of teachings and my offerings in this area through the Modular Workshop and Courses are as if a pebble compared to a mountain.

The Art of Upaniṣat Mysticism Module One Personal Sādhana Workshop reflects the teachings of TKV Desikachar and his father and teacher T Krishnamacharya as taught to Paul Harvey over 25 years through:

• Guidance in emphasising a personal reflective study to support your life.
• Understanding the principles that inspire and inform Yoga teachings.
• An overview of primary Upaniṣat concepts around body and mind.
• Familiarisation with basic Upaniṣat terms and practice techniques.
• Appreciating how chanting the Upaniṣat can aid their absorption and deepen our understanding.
• Deepening the reflective aspects of our personal practice with the Upaniṣat.

To present a view of the Upaniṣat through which students can support and develop their own Yoga Sādhana and deepen their appreciation of the possibilities for the Upaniṣat in their lives.

Upaniṣat Mysticism – 10.0 hours

• Exploring some key concepts that underpin this Teaching.
• How the Upaniṣat are linked.
• What are the key concepts in each?
• Which Upaniṣat are most important?
• Why do we need a view such as the Upaniṣat?
• Learning to look from the Upaniṣat at our relationship with others.
• Linking the Upaniṣat to the ebb and flow of daily life. 

• Exploring key concepts that surround this teaching.
• How the Upaniṣat can link to personal practice goals.
• What are the key verses?
• In-depth exploration of the key verses of the Upaniṣat.
• Linking each verse to the meditative path in Yoga.
• Which concepts from the Upaniṣat are most relevant to us?
• How to prioritize short-term and long-term goals in the Upaniṣat.
• Learning to read the Upaniṣat signposts for our personal journey.
• Why the view is a helpful foundation for practice and life.
• Learning to look from the Upaniṣat at our relationship with others.
• Linking the Upaniṣat to the ebb and flow of daily life.

To deepen the teachings within these important groups of texts we will work specifically with two primary Upaniṣat over two 2-day Workshop modules.

Module Two – The Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣat
Module Three – The Taittirīyra Upaniṣat

To help with our study a verse-by-verse workbook will be provided for both. They are important Upaniṣat and between them offer insights as a potential quintessence of the primary teachings within all the Upaniṣat. As such they will be invaluable support for the study of all the Upaniṣat, as well as a stepping stone from the Art of Upaniṣat Mysticism Module One Study options.