Light on Mantra Yoga ~ Intermediate
NOVEMBER 2026
A 4-Week Online Training in the Deeper Psychology, Symbolism, and Transformative Power of Mantra Yoga
Over four weeks, you'll move from understanding the inner map of mantra practice to working directly with archetypal forces, Durgā upāsana and planetary wisdom.
If you've completed Foundations of Mantra Yoga or already have a solid mantra practice, this intermediate training takes you beyond technique and into the deeper psychology, symbolism and inner processes that give mantra its power.
Dr Swami Shankardev Saraswati teaches this material with both precision and compassion, grounding the classical teachings in how they actually shift your inner life.
This is where mantra practice begins to move beyond repetition and into deeper inner work.
📅 1-30 November 2026
🕤 4 x 120min online classes with Q&A
🌎 2 class times for each weekly module available to suit multiple timezones.
🖥️ Live classes held online via Zoom
🗂️ Recordings & Resources Provided
Prerequisites: Foundations of Mantra Yoga, Sankalpa Workshops, or previous experience/training in Mantra.
CPE Hours: 8
Duration: 2 hours per class, for 4 weeks
Pricing: EARLY BIRD $149pp (ends Sept 30)
Course Modules
Session 1: The Map and the Magician
From Ego to Self: Understanding Energy, Intention and Inner Change
The first class establishes the psychological and spiritual map for the course. We explore the journey from the conscious ego into the deeper psyche and towards the Self, including why the unconscious contains not only unresolved material and shadow, but also dormant capacities and archetypal forces.
You will learn how mantra generates and directs psychic energy, how saṅkalpa gives that energy direction, and why stability, meditation and discipline are essential before working with stronger practices. We also explore the Magician and Alchemist as archetypes of self-development, including both their creative potential and their shadow expressions.
The class introduces the six limbs of mantra and concludes with a practical dhāraṇā using yantra to develop concentration and the ability to remain centred as energy builds.
Session 2: Devatā, Symbol and Yantra
Working with the Archetypal Forces of the Psyche
The second class explores the relationship between mantra, symbol and devatā. Rather than viewing a devatā simply as an external deity, we examine the devatā as a living psychic and spiritual force that can gradually be approached through worship, invocation, embodiment and realisation.
We explore feminine expressions of Śakti, the Daśa Mahāvidyā as a mandala of transformative powers, and the way symbols communicate with deeper layers of the psyche. You will also learn how yantra functions within tantric practice, what a bīja mantra is, and why these concentrated seed sounds cannot be understood through literal translation alone.
The class then turns towards the personal practice of finding an iṣṭa devatā, including traditional methods for determining which mantra and devatā may be most appropriate for an individual. The accompanying practice uses the dhyāna verse as a method of devatā dhāraṇā.
Session 3: Durgā Upāsana
Learning a Complete Mantra Sādhanā
The third class brings the previous teachings together through a complete upāsana of Durgā, the protective mother whose power encompasses Kālī, Lakṣmī and Sarasvatī.
We enter the Durgā Saptaśatī and explore its structure, stories and embedded mantras before learning how the different elements of a traditional Caṇḍī sādhanā work together. These include the namaskāras, dhyāna, Gāyatrī with the seven vyāhṛtis, mālā mantras, viniyoga, Sapta Ślokī, the thirty-two names of Durgā and the mūla mantra used with yantra.
Certain Durgā mantras containing the bīja sounds Aiṁ, Hrīṁ and Klīṁ are transmitted by voice within the class. We also explore traditional safeguards within mantra practice and how a disciplined anuṣṭhāna is designed and undertaken.
The class culminates in the complete Durgā upāsana, which becomes the foundation of your personal practice following the session.
Session 4: The Planets and the Upāya
Applying Mantra to Karma and the Grahas
The final class applies the principles of mantra yoga to the planetary forces described in Jyotiṣa. We explore the grahas as archetypal influences within the psyche and examine their relationship with the chakras, creating an inner map in which the body itself becomes a reflection of the horoscope.
A central question is whether a planetary influence requires strengthening or pacification. You will learn the elemental reasoning behind this distinction, how different forms of planetary mantra are selected, and the significance of practising on particular planetary days and horās.
We also explore Saturn as an initiatory force, Rāhu as a shadow expression of the Magician, Ketu as a force of liberation, and the different functions of mantra, dāna and gemstones as traditional upāyas. Case charts are used to show how these principles can be applied in practice.
The course concludes with a Navagraha Śānti Pūjā through the chakras and the preparation of a 40-day planetary anuṣṭhāna.
This course is suitable for:
- Graduates of Foundations of Mantra Yoga
- Experienced meditators
- Yoga practitioners seeking greater depth
- Therapists and healing practitioners
- Serious spiritual seekers
- Mantra practitioners wanting a deeper understanding
- Those interested in the relationship between mantra, psychology, and transformation
This course is especially valuable for practitioners who feel:
- “Something deeper is trying to emerge.”
- drawn toward the symbolic or archetypal dimensions of practice
- ready to move beyond purely surface-level meditation
Live Online Class Times
Two class times are offered each week. Choose your preferred group when registering.
- GROUP 1: November 1, 8, 15, 22 (Sydney, Australia)
- Sunday: 7pm - 9 pm AEDT (GMT+11)
- Sunday 3am-5am EST/EDT
- Sunday 1am-3am PST/PDT
- Sunday 8am-10am London
- Convert to your Timezone here
- GROUP 2: Mondays November 2, 9, 16, 23 (Sydney, Australia)
- Monday: 9:45 am - 11:45 am AEDT (GMT+11)
- Sunday 2:45pm - 4:45pm PST/PDT
- Sunday 5:45 - 745pm EST/EDT
- Sunday 1045pm-12:45am London
- Convert to your Timezone here
RECORDINGS & PRACTICES PROVIDED
Course Enrolment
Early Bird Registration: USD$149 (ends Sept 30)
Early Bird Payment plan: 3 instalments of $50
From October 1:
One-time registration: USD$249
Payment Plan: 4 instalments of $62.50
About the Teacher
Dr Swami Shankardev Saraswati is an internationally respected teacher of yoga, meditation, mantra yoga, tantra, and yoga psychology with decades of experience integrating the classical yogic sciences with modern psychological understanding.
His teaching synthesizes:
- Mantra yoga
- Tantra
- Subtle body theory
- Meditation
- Yoga psychology
- Depth psychology
- Practical spiritual integration
The emphasis throughout is not simply intellectual learning, but direct experience, psychological grounding and the integration of these practices into everyday life.
