Following on from the success of CoVidya 2020 we are happy to announce

CoVidya 2026:

A continuing series of knowledge meetings with Alistair Shearer.

Co = co-operation; communality; coherence; compassion. 

Vidya = the Sanskrit word for true knowledge; penetrating insight. 

2026 = of our time and the present need.

These zoom meetings will take place roughly every two weeks on a Sunday afternoon and they will utilise the extraordinary current situation as an opportunity to remind ourselves of the relevance of Maharishi’s teaching and the perennial spiritual principles that underlie it.

All are very welcome.

Next CoVidya Meeting

There are no scheduled meetings at this time

The Zoom Meeting Room will be open for attendees to log in from 2.00 pm, and the meeting will begin promptly at 2.30 pm with a presentation from Alistair lasting until approx. 3.15 pm, when we shall break for about ten minutes. We shall reconvene at 3.30 pm for an interactive question and answer session and close the meeting at 4.30 pm with a group meditation lasting until 4.50pm.

To gain access to the meeting, purchase a pass above (if listed) and you will be emailed access details.

Alistair Shearer is a veteran teacher of Transcendental Meditation. He has written fourteen books, the most recent of which is The Story of Yoga, published in February 2020 by Hurst & Co.

‘A clear-eyed, elegantly written and wonderfully informative history of yoga … Shearer’s remarkable book is a wide-ranging and rather sobering discussion on the nature of authenticity.’ – The Spectator

Reviews

‘Amazing – and that was the word used to describe you many times yesterday. I have a feeling you will be a favourite on the training again:’

Thank you so much for the CoVidya 2020 meetings. It is wonderful and nourishing to build on the teaching that you gave me, and all of us at Neeleshwar, and those evening sessions we enjoyed together. It is particularly nourishing at this time; these sessions feel like gold dust!’ R.W.

‘Alistair was just phenomenal as always! WOW! He just makes the most complex abstract ideas so palatable!’

Mind blown. I went to some Veda lectures at Ananda and Alistair is even better, just wonderful’ H.P. Yoga teacher trainer

Thank you, really enjoyed this afternoon. I wish I’d had an introduction to the Gita like that when I was taking my course. You made it much clearer. V.L.

‘Thank you so much for the CoVidya 2020 meetings. It is wonderful and nourishing to build on the teaching that you gave me, and all of us at Neeleshwar, and those evening sessions we enjoyed together. It is particularly nourishing at this time; these sessions feel like gold dust!’ R.W.

‘Your mellow dulcet semitrombome utterfications mesmerise one and all; the meditations vanish me to the beyonds of outer furthest Brecknockshire…MF, Cardiff’

‘Really nourished me! I’ve dropped out of the meditations in the past years so it’s good to be back in the fold! It was good today, thanks’ C.S.

‘I enjoyed the class last Sunday very much. It was beautiful! – Informative, inspiring and helped me forge interesting links in my personal study and ongoing practice. With much gratitude’ N.D.

‘Excellent meeting; can’t wait for another’ .G.M.

‘Amazing value for £10!’ A.C.

‘Thanks for an excellent Zoom session today. Look forward to more in the future’. N.S.

‘What an added gift to my Birthday your Zoom was! Really was fun, interesting & thought provoking. Thank you for the invite. Only U could get me up at 5.45 am these days!

‘I thoroughly enjoyed Sunday ~ thank you so much. Absolutely loved the group meditation at the end too’. L.L’E.

Jacques was totally captivated & found it most enjoyable. Maybe I can finally get him meditating with me!!!’ J.W. New Mexico

‘It was joy to listen, will be back for more. After wilderness years, much thanks’ M.F.

‘It was a really great meeting, thank you’ P.O’C.

Thanks for today! A very good way to spend a Sunday afternoon.’ H.W.

‘That was brilliant Ali, and after the first few minor hiccups went really well. Thank you so much, and I’ll look forward to the next one.’ S.F.

Thanks for the fascinating talk on Sunday. What a wonderful turn out you got! This is such a great way for you to teach without boundaries of place etc.’ L.M.

 

‘Here’s to the next time’ H.S.

 

'Thank you so much for the talk, very erudite, as you swept and connected so many strands, particularly from the western tradition,  tying in the perennial philosophy. Really enlightening'.
R.C. 

 

'Absolutely wonderful talk, please can you invite him back for another one?'
Inner Yoga attendee

 

'Fantastic event, I loved seeing all the art and finding out its symbolism and link to yoga philosophy'
Inner Yoga attendee

 

'So glad you are planning more talks, they really are superb & from our perspective help retain a connection to ancient knowledge amongst busy family life'
M.W., London.

 

'Another golden afternoon in the company of like-minded people awash with erudite knowledge - yes thanks again for this'
CJG, Leicestershire

 

Video Archive of Previous meetings available to purchase

Purchase allows you to view on this site for a period of one year or you may download a copy of the video file.

01) Some reflections on the present moment

02) Meditation: Stress relief or self-realisation?

03) The heart of Yoga in four short words

04) The four quarters of the undivided Self

05) The Promise of Liberation

06) Tantra – Weaving the Web of Life (part 1)

07) Tantra – Weaving the Web of Life (part 2)

08) The necessity of discrimination

09) Tantra – Weaving the Web of Life (part 3)

10) CoVidya – Question and Answer session

11) The Question of Reincarnation

12) The Four Stages of Life

13) CoVidya Question and Answer Session 2

14) The Strange Story of Modern Yoga

15) The Strange Story of Modern Yoga – Part 2

16) Finding the Self Within

17) The State of Non-Attachment

18) Higher States of Consciousness (1): The Principle

19) Higher States of Consciousness (2): Cosmic Consciousness

20) Higher States of Consciousness (3): God Consciousness

21) Higher States of Consciousness (4): From God Consciousness to Unity

22) Bhagavad Gita (1) The Role of Dharma

23) Bhagavad Gita (2) The Nature of Action

24) Go to Work on an Ego

25) Immortality in the midst of change

26) Dealing with Grief

27) The Meaning of Maya

28) Does perfect enlightenment really exist?

29) The paradox of monotheism

30) Veda and evolution

31) The Importance of Tradition

32) Mechanisms of Memory

33) Three ways of seeing: the hierarchy of knowledge

34) In the Beginning

35) The Upanishads

36) The Four Aims of Life

37) The Four Aims of Life Part 2

38) Water, water everywhere

39) Dealing with change in the teachings of Patanjali

40) The Role of Cultural Integrity

41) The Loss of Knowledge

42) The Loss of Knowledge (Part 2)

43) Krishna (1): Divine Baby and Noble Youth – (to be recorded)

44) Krishna (2): The Alluring Lover

45) Krishna (3): The Spiritual teacher (to be recorded)

46) An Introduction to the Upanishads

47) Consciousness is Prior (1): The Descent from Metaphysics to Science

48) Consciousness is Prior (2): Sigmund Freud and the debasement of Psychology (to be recorded)

49) Consciousness is Prior (3): Sigmund Freud and the debasement of Psychology (2)

50) Consciousness is Prior (4): Some social consequences of Freudian Materialism

51) Consciousness is Prior (5): The Materialism of Karl Marx

52) Consciousness is Prior (6): C.G. Jung and the elevation of Psychology

53) The Morality of Enlightenment

54) Tongues of Fire

55) Wings of Air

56) Adam, Eve and the Serpent

57) The Philosophy of Yoga (1)

58) The Philosophy of Yoga (2)

59) The Philosophy of Yoga (3)

60) The Philosophy of Yoga (4)

61) As Above, so Below: the role of hierarchy

62) The Hermitage Yoga Lectures – The Vedic Age

63) The Hermitage Yoga Lectures – The Upanishads

64) The Hermitage Yoga Lectures – Jainism, Buddhism and Patanjali

65) The Hermitage Yoga Lectures – Hatha and Tantra

66) Transcending the Text

67) Three bodies, one soul (part 1)

68) Three bodies, one soul (part 2)

69) Three bodies, one soul (part 3)

70) Three bodies, one soul (part 4)

71) Three bodies, one soul (part 5)

72) Three bodies, one soul (part 6)

73) Sapiential Serpents: a study of sacred symbolism

74) Sapiential Serpents: a study of sacred symbolism – Part 2

75) Stress and samadhi – Part 1

76) Stress and samadhi – Part 2

77) The Role of the Intellect

Audio recordings available to purchase

An Introduction to the Bhagavad Gita