Svadyaya (Self-study) — Looking Inside to Understand Yourself
Photo by Rebe Pascual on Unsplash
Svadyaya is the June theme of the month.
Svadyaya, study, or more specifically self-study, is the fourth of Patanjali’s niyamas, or personal observances. It is so important that it comes up more than once in the yoga sutras. In fact, all of yoga leads to svadyaya.
The first part of the word—sva—means “self.” The second part—dhyaya—is derived from the verb root dhyai, which means “to contemplate, to think on, to recollect, or to call to mind.” Thus, we translate dhyaya as “study”—to study one’s own self.
However, Svadyaya is often translated as scriptural study, the actual reading of and reflecting on the sacred books, i.e. Vedas, Upanishads, Yoga Sutras, Bible etc. These works remind you of your true nature.
Discovering Your Nature with Kriya Yoga
When you study something, you hold it in your attention and come to know something about it. The contents of these writings in effect serve as mirrors that reveal you to yourself.
More recently, Svadyaya has come to mean “self-reflection or self-awareness.” Although a bit more straightforward, it is often the thing that most of us resist.
We would much rather eat, drink, smoke, go somewhere, watch Netflix—anything but sit with our pain and make sense of it. As Lilly Tomlin so eloquently says, “Self-knowledge isn’t necessarily good news.”
Thinking about yourself or a problem in your life does not always get you anywhere at all. Instead, Svadyaya is to study with understanding and with your heart. Svadhyaya is about inquiring in an interested, non-judgmental way–trying to figure out your patterns, beliefs, and habits.
The more you study in this manner, the more you elevate your mind and expand your knowledge.
Svadyaya also implies putting into action the things that you study. It is one of the three components of Kriya Yoga, or yoga in action (i.e. yoga that is not passive.)
This combination of Tapas (discipline), Svadyaya (self-study), and Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender to the greater intelligence of the universe) is the formula for doing yoga. This yoga of action entails taking yoga off the mat and into your daily life. After all, wisdom comes with experience.
Studying Yogic Texts to Deepen a Yoga Practice
There are thousands of yogic texts containing inspiring and transformational writings about the varied practice of yoga. While it is advised that any sincere and dedicated student of yoga would benefit from reading, studying, and reflecting upon these texts, it is not realistic to expect that every sincere student is going to be able to make time to do so.
In our modern life, it may instead mean finding a book, a poem, or any piece of writing that deepens your yoga practice. In effect, by deepening your understanding and connection to yoga and remaining curious about yoga off the mat, you are practicing Svadyaya.
However, it is never enough to read and be curious. You must apply it to your life now, so yoga practice becomes truly embodied. Remember, you are always practicing.
You can learn to tune into the body in asana practice to enhance your emotional awareness. (Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash)
Reciting Svadyaya Mantra
Sometimes tapas might be a hard Vinyasa practice. Other days it’s the self-discipline to simply get onto the mat and see where the practice takes you, even if that’s to a few quiet restorative poses.
Sometimes, it’s the effort involved in getting onto the meditation cushion when you’d rather be watching Netflix. It might even be the focus that’s required to remain centered with your breath and stay with whatever arises when holding an asana for several minutes.
In addition, tapas could be the force that motivates you to do your yoga practice when you don’t feel like it. You still do it because you know it is good for you.
Studying Yourself from “self” to “Self”
In Sutra, 2.44, Patanjali states, “Svadhyayad istadevata samprayogah.” (“By the study of spiritual books comes communion with one’s chosen deity.”)
Here, by studying the small self, you discover the divine within. As you recognize your habit patterns and ways of thinking, you come to know that your small self is concerned with survival.
The inner critic can be loud. You might find self-judgment, doubt, fear, worry, and other cognitive and emotional tendencies. This is what contributes to the changing states of mind; that yoga’s purpose is to quiet.
By studying yourself, your thoughts, emotions, aspirations, and actions, you learn what is serving you and what is not. This discernment of the small self brings you closer to uniting with and knowing your true Self.
Svadyaya on and off the Mat
The body is a great tool for self-awareness. How you do each asana is a tool for self-discovery.
Do you move with awareness, or do you find yourself on autopilot just going through the motions? Is your mind present with the body sensations, or is it ruminating over a previous conversation?
Are you keeping your gaze inward, or are you comparing yourself to your neighbor? What are your tendencies?
What happens on the mat is often a metaphor for what happens off the mat. Over time, you not only notice the changing sensations in the body but how you relate to the aches or discomfort.
How you handle falling out of a pose, or the discomfort or difficulty of a pose, can give you a deeper understanding of how you handle uncomfortable situations in your daily life. With this deeper understanding, you cultivate resilience on and off the mat, giving you inner strength.
Asana Practice for Emotional Awareness
More importantly, asana practice is a tool for emotional awareness. Every emotion you have will be experienced in the body—butterflies in your stomach, sweaty palms, a racing heart.
Your body is giving you data about what’s going on in your emotional weather system. The body is always in the present moment, and it never lies.
The more you learn to tune into the body in asana practice, the more you will enhance your emotional awareness.
You can feel in the body what cannot yet be expressed in words. Habits of the mind are everywhere in physical movement.
In fact, you will have a physiological experience before you are consciously aware of it. As you bring attention to the body in yoga, you develop a higher resolution awareness. This is Svadyaya.
Practicing Svadyaya on the Cushion
Yoga is all about stilling the changing nature of the mind, and sitting practice is the ultimate practice of Svadyaya.
To understand the mind, you have to be able to witness the mind. When you sit on the meditation cushion and get quiet, the mind begins to settle, and you can see your thoughts, worries, plans, and ruminations.
With any type of meditation, you are creating space between yourself and all those thoughts. You develop meta-awareness–the ability to observe your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and impulses as they are happening. As you practice, you learn to stay with whatever is happening in the mind and body, with kindness and curiosity, whether it is pleasant or unpleasant.
When you allow yourself to feel, acknowledge, and name your worries or any other difficult thoughts and emotions, it helps them dissipate. This is Svadyaya.
With practice, you begin to realize that you are not your thoughts or your emotions. You might not be able to alter the situation, but now you have the space to choose how you respond. You gain clarity, and this is Svadyaya.
Tips to Practice Svadyaya :
1. Study Wisdom Teachings
This can be done in many forms. Study the Buddha, Jesus, Martin Luther King, Shakespeare, Gandhi, Mary Oliver, or whoever inspires you. Their words can bring you closer to learning who you are.
2. Three Breaths Practice
Pause in your day and take three breaths. With each breath, ask yourself—“What thoughts are going on in my head?”; “What emotions do I feel in my body?”; or “What intentions are in my heart?”
3. In Meditation
Begin by asking yourself: “What do I need to know or learn about myself?” Let your meditation unfold. Try a mantra meditation to connect to your true nature. You can chant Om or a phrase such as “I am that I am.”
4. Yoga Asana
Use the asana as a tool of exploration. You can observe what the mind does in difficult poses and in easier poses. Is there restlessness or boredom? Is there clinging or pushing away? How do you relate to your experience in the pose? What are the sensations in the body? Get granular with your language-pulling, stretching, tingling, warmth etc. This puts you in tune with the felt sense in the body, increasing emotional awareness.
5. Journal for Two Minutes on a Prompt
Where are my heart and mind in alignment?” “Where are they not?” “Where is there discomfort?”
6. Cultivate Self-Compassion
It takes grit, perseverance, and courage to see ourselves. You don’t need to be a taskmaster. Self-compassion is seeing our pain as part of the larger, universal picture of being human, and seeing ourselves as worthy of kindness and care. Svadyaya is to study with understanding and with your heart. It is from a place of acceptance that we can change.
Knowing Your True Self with Svadyaya
In the end, all of yoga leads to Svadyaya. The practice is one that is meant to cultivate a deep sense of self-awareness.
Svadyaya is to be done with an open heart and an attitude of non-judgment. It can be easy to chastise yourself or even give yourself an inner high five. Either way, it’s another opportunity to notice, acknowledge, and come back to observing.
By observing your own tendencies and habit patterns, you are better able to cultivate a positive way of being in this world. Discernment is the key.
You become wiser.
You become closer to knowing your true Self.
You realize that yoga’s purpose and direction are ultimately within, internal, and to gain insight.
To paraphrase the Tao Te Ching, Look within yourself and you’ll find everything you need.
If you want help practicing Svadyaya, I’ll be glad to help you. Feel free to email me: sharyn@truenorthwell.com.
Have a good practice.