This is a 8-session in-depth course. Sanskrit is the ancient language of the seers and sages of ancient India. The major authoritative scriptures of yoga philosophy, the mantras we meditate with and the chants we chant are all in this wondrous language. The Sanskrit language has a primordial and powerful vibration. Its 50 basic sounds are vibrating in our six chakras. Due to its powerful and purifying effects, mantras and prayers are chanted in their original form and not in a translated form. For those interested in deepening their understanding of the philosophy, mantras and chants, having a basic understanding of the Sanskrit language is very helpful. In this 8-session course we will focus on reading Devanagari (the Sanskrit script) and pronouncing the basic Sanskrit sounds.  Course meets 8 Thursdays: Sept 27–Nov 15 Gajananam Gajananam is a direct disciple of Swami Vishnu-devananda and the founder/director of the Vishnu-devananda Yoga Vedanta Center in Fremont, CA. He began his training in the late ’80s at the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in Tel Aviv, and became a Sivananda yoga instructor in 1989. In the ’90s, he served as a staff member and director of the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center in New York and has taught at many Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Courses and retreats. Due to his love for chanting Kirtan, mantras and slokas, which have a wonderful uplifting vibration, with the desire to pronounce these more accurately as well as deepen his understanding of the mantras and ancient scriptures, Gajananam studied Sanskrit under the tutelage of the Sanskrit Scholar Dr. Sarasvati Mohan from 2004 through 2012. He is an excellent teacher of Bhagavad Gita and Sanskrit. Gajananam has had the opportuniy of studying Vedantic scriptures in a traditional manner at Arsha Vidya since 2013. Link to event on our website: http://sivanandasf.org/course/7961