Yoga can be a great workout, but we all know that it's so much more; if we didn't, we'd be running or playing soccer instead. The stress relief and strong quadriceps that come with a good asana routine are encouraging, but the possibility of self-investigation, devotion, and powerful meditation is what reels most of us in. If you are a practitioner who wants to move into a deeper energetic place with your practice, or to simply prepare your body better for meditation, the Tantric tradition has a lot to offer.

This week at Yoga Tree Hayes, four highly respected teachers are leading a week-long workshop entitled The Samavesha Immersion: Fundamentals of Tantrik Yoga.. The course is led by yoga and Ayurveda educator Scott Blossom, Tibetan Buddhist scholar and yoga teacher Chandra Easton, and Sanskrit and Indian philosophy scholars Chris Tompkins and Chris Wallis. The diversity of teachers allows for a curriculum that covers both sadhana (the actual practice of tantra) and darshana (the study of its historical and philosophical underpinnings).

Samavesha means "immersion into the divine," and, at its heart, that is the goal of all Tantric practice. This course will focus on the various elements of Tantric yoga, including mantra, mudra, bandhas, pranayama, and meditation. There will be special emphasis on ancient Tantric yoga texts and Vinyasa Krama—the sequencing of a South Indian-influenced asana practice so that the body is energetically prepared for the true goal of meditation.

"Meditation is the natural outcome of proper asana practice," says Blossom. "When you don't sit to meditate at the end of the practice, it's like making this incredible cup of chai and not drinking it."

Blossom says that the more balanced your chakras and nadis, the deeper the state of meditation you can achieve, which means a clearer path to reaching the divine.

"When it's all humming together and there's harmony, there's something that begins to happen . . . an insight that transcends the physical body . . . it's so delicious that you want to remain."

The course runs from Sunday, September 9-Saturday, September 15. To find out fee and time info, go to the Yoga Tree website.