Greeting sweet yogis

This week our spiritual sadhana is Svadhyaya: Self-Education, Study

Svadhyaya (Study) includes reading the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and other highly-regarded literature of Yoga with deep reflection. It also includes self-study, the stripping away of the “not-I” self.  Resignation to Isvara is resignation to God, Brahman, That, It, Tao, or whatever title you wish to give the Absolute Nature.

Svadhyaya/actively mediating on or studying the nature of Self

This is the literal translation of “svadhyaya,” whose meaning is derived from “sva,” or Self (soul, atman, or higher self); “dhy,” related to the word “dhyana” which means meditation; and “ya,” a suffix that invokes an active quality. Taken as a whole, svadhyaya means “actively meditating on or studying the nature of the Self.”

Svadhyaya/ a remembering of Self

Many like to think of this niyama as “remembering to be aware of the true nature of the Self.” Svadhyaya is a deep acknowledgment of the oneness of the Self with all that is. When we practice svadhyaya, we begin to dissolve the illusory separation we often feel from our deeper self, from those around us, and from our world. 

 Practice: reflection, meditation, wanting to know the Truth.

Consider the meaning of spiritual concepts – understanding the underlying wisdom, NOT accepting without question.  Expand knowledge through reading and then pondering to understand the scriptures for observation of the self in relation to all life.

In yogic practice, svadhyaya has most traditionally been concerned with the study of yoga scriptures. In truth, any practice that reminds us of our interconnection is svadhyaya. Svadhyaya could be studying Patanjali’s Sutra, reading this paper, practicing asanas, or singing from your heart.

Svadhyay/a Self observation

Svadhyaya is also the practice of self-observation. It gives you a pause between stimulus and response, letting you have room to breathe, relax, feel, watch, and allow.

Items you are pondering may come clear to you in an almost organic manner – or it may take time for truth to emerge. Be open and have the spirit of exploration within you.

All my love

Chrystal Rae