Seminars on NIDRA YOGA & VIJNĀNA BHAIRAVA TANTRA by Fédération des Yoga Traditionnels
Series of 3 Seminars in Provence: January - February - March 2026
VIJNÂNA BHAIRAVA TANTRA, or Yoga of Supreme Knowledge. DATES: 16 to 18 January – 13 to 15 February – 27 to 29 March, from Friday 6pm to Sunday 5pm
PROGRAMME. This series of three interconnected seminars addresses three of the major themes of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, with each session offering a progressive deepening of our relationship with the sacred dimension of life - JANUARY: Yoga of Space and Light Meditation and Expansion of Consciousness - FEBRUARY: Yoga of Shadow and Darkness Exploring the Folds of Consciousness - MARCH: Yoga of Emptiness Relationship with the Formless
PRACTICAL ORGANISATION. Each session will explore this study over four half-days, each devoted to one aspect of the theme. - Meditative circle dancing and body listening related to the general theme - Short commentary on a verse from the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra related to the theme - Practical study and integration of the theme through nidra, concentration and meditation
IN RESIDENCE. The entire cycle takes place at Somapa, a place of study dedicated to the inner journey, located in Eyragues, 15 kilometres south of Avignon Limited to 16 people, with accommodation in twin or triple rooms, Somapa was designed for residential living where everyone participates in its running.
PARTICIPATION.
Tuition: €690 for all 3 meetings
Full board on site: €150 per weekend
INFORMATION: Frédéric Chapeau
[email protected]
06 13 78 70 72
PRESENTATION: Although this practice stems from ‘Deep Yoga,’ this programme is easily accessible to all. It will address rarely studied areas of this text in the investigation of inner life. ‘VIJNÂNA BHAIRAVA TANTRA in Nidrâ Yoga’, The Yoga of Supreme Knowledge In the tradition of Kashmiri Shaivism, the Vijnâna Bhairava Tantra is the oldest text on yoga that is still relevant today. Also translated as ‘Tantra of Recognition’, it has been studied over the centuries by the greatest scholars, including the great scholar Abhinavagupta (950–1020), who spread this immense culture, which has continued to endure ever since. It is often considered the most comprehensive manual on all aspects of yoga, consisting of 112 verses covering all forms and methods of meditation applicable in any place and at any age of human life. Its uniqueness, however, lies in its applications to everyday life, sometimes far removed from the commonly held idea of spirituality. Thus anger, stress, astonishment, but also complex patterns of discursive thought, emotional states, feelings and sensations are considered conducive to investigating the secrets of the deepest spirituality... This yoga of action within the context of life in the world, as opposed to a life of ascetic withdrawal, opens the way to infinite freedom, where we discover that the Self is a reality that is both immanent and transcendent, residing in the innermost depths of the individual, without reference to any dogma or belief, a state devoid of any allegiance to a philosophical or metaphysical system of thought. Finally, beyond its many practical exercises, the Vijnâna Bhairava Tantra resonates as an invitation to unveil our true nature, which is peaceful, happy and incorruptible consciousness. It is, in a way, a collection of instructions and meditative practices that are independent of the conditions of time, space or identity. A taste of freedom at the very heart of a life limited by the ordinary conditions imposed by societies of all kinds. It is one of those pure wonders that the vast culture of India, which for millennia has offered us the opportunity to study in order to recognise what we have always known about reality, but which we have forgotten due to our concerns that are both so important and so futile.
Nidra yoga, meanwhile, outside of its ascetic context, has developed a concise and sometimes methodical teaching on releasing tensions that hinder the subtle perception of the elements that organise our true depth as human beings. It is a powerful tool for deconditioning memories that limit the ‘natural recognition of this Self-Going’ which is at the heart of the Vijnâna Bhairava Tantra. In its advanced level, budhnyanidrâ, which can be translated as ‘nidrâ of the depths’, it announces that human beings and society cannot be dissociated, as all individuals influence society, which in turn influences each individual... It is a great tool for deconditioning memories that limit precisely the ‘natural recognition of this Self-Going’ which is at the heart of the Vijnâna Bhairava Tantra. Meditative circle dancing, meanwhile, has its roots in a melting pot of ancient traditions and cultures, where it allowed communities of men and women to share a state of communion that fostered solidarity, but also openness to the sacred dimension of life. Kept very discreet, almost secret, it is today a magnificent means of rediscovering both one's verticality and personal foundation, but also of experiencing a state of transcendence in connection with others. The combination of these three approaches (introspection, dance and letting go) is quite unusual in traditional fields, yet this programme, which embodies them, remains very classical, following several decades of personal study in both India and Europe.
