“Yoga is the cultivation of a subtle internal state, and the the truth is that you can’t tell whether anyone is doing yoga by looking at them. The real yoga is an internal process. You can be doing yoga while doing physical poses, or not” Christopher Hareesh Wallis


EPISODE THREE – CHRISTOPHER HAREESH WALLIS – YOGA, TANTRA AND POLITICS

ENTERING THE SUBTLE DEPTHS OF TANTRIK YOGA


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About this interview:

 

We explore the ancient stories, modern manifestations and internal expanses of tantra and yogic practise.

 

In this episode, Amisha gets together with Christopher Hareesh Wallis, a scholar and practitioner of the yoga tradition and author of two books on the classical Tantra tradition.

Hareesh – whose name meaning “remover of sorrows” was given to him as an “invitation to grow into” by the guru of his mother when he was just 9 years old – joins Amisha in discussion of what it truly means to be a yogi, what happens when we become a focal point of unified consciousness on public transport, the non-difference between the body, mind and bodymind, and what the yoga tradition teaches us about politics.

Hareesh also shares insights and guidance on the true origins of suffering and how to cultivate bliss, developing awareness of the centre and the whole to enter the deeper subtleties of yoga practise, how you can tell if a person is doing tantra or not, why we exile parts of ourselves and how to love the whole spectrum of human experience and thereby experience true bliss.

We learn in this episode a little of the history and roots of tantra and what it actually is, as well as what neo-tantra is and what it has become. For a more in depth exploration, Hareesh’s book Tantra Illuminated brings non-duality, yoga and advaita together, offering a deeper dive for people who want to understand the context for things they have already learned, as well as a thorough introduction for those who are completely new to the subject. 

“Further healing, growth and integration is just something that consciousness is naturally drawn to do when it is given permission to do nothing.” Christopher Hareesh Wallis

Christopher Wallis, also known as Hareesh, is a scholar-practitioner with thirty years of experience, having been initiated into the practice of yogic meditation at sixteen, and fifteen years of formal education. His degrees include a B.A. in Religion and Classics from the University of Rochester, an M.A. in Sanskrit from U.C. Berkeley, an M.Phil. in Classical Indian Religions from Oxford, and a Ph.D. in Sanskrit from U.C. Berkeley. His doctoral dissertation focused on the role of spiritual experience in the tradition of Tantric Shaivism. Additionally, he received traditional education at yoga āshrams in upstate New York and India, training in meditation, mantra-science, kīrtan, karma-yoga, and pedagogy. He currently teaches meditation, yoga darśana (practical philosophy), Tantrik philosophy, Sanskrit, mantra-science, and offers spiritual counseling. Hareesh is the author of Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition and The Recognition Sutras: Illuminating a 1,000-year-old Spiritual Masterpiece.

 

For a deeper dive and further resources, check out Hareesh’s website.

To connect or work with Amisha Ghadiali, visit www.amisha.co.uk


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