In the U.S. we tend to think of yoga as a form of gentle exercise or, less charitably, as a bit of New Age nonsense. However, Yoga is actually an ancient practical philosophy that addresses our deepest questions about human life and existence. The many rich theories and practices of Yoga have a single point: the realization of our True Self. We will bring our curiosity to two central Yoga texts- Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita attempting to understand them in their own terms and to embrace their (timeless) relevance in our 21st century lives. Our study of these ancient texts and some recent secondary literature will be complemented by weekly asana practice. Students enrolling for this course must commit to being on their mats, in appropriate clothing and ready to practice, at 9:25am each Thursday.