The second limb of the eight-faceted path of yoga consists of the five Niyamas which are reflections that take us more toward internal observances, an interior resting place. The fourth of these Niyamas is called Svadyaya and is translated as self-study.
Svadyaya can be viewed from a couple of different perspectives. The first is the more classical translation that self-study involves delving into sacred texts and scripture. The second is how we continue the study of our own connection to our innermost Divine Self. Through the practices, particularly if we begin to pay attention to the Yamas and Niyamas, we begin to have a framework by which we not only are exposed to ancient teachings but those teachings take us deeply into states of questioning, contemplation and meditation. Self-study is self-examination and we use the vehicle of any writings that inspire us to feel the presence of the indwelling spirit or guiding force.
I can vividly recall the moment when I recognized that the deeper level of the study of yoga was about to begin. It was during the early phases of my yoga teacher training where yogic philosophy was introduced. I remember where I was sitting and then having this image of stepping through an open doorway and viewing what was on the other side as this wide open field of knowledge. It was like arriving at Disneyland for the first time and not knowing where to go first. I sat there, bedazzled, feeling the opportunity to tap into what I had been seeking. Up until that moment all of my yoga was quite physical and based around the poses. Having been physically active my whole life I understood on that level but felt that I wanted something deeper, more meaningful. In that moment, I had found what I was looking for.
Over thousands of years, seekers have sought ways in which they connect to spirit. All religions and spiritual practices have books as their guiding light: the Torah and Talmud, the Holy Bible, the Koran, the Tao Te Ching and the Bhagavad Gita. But it doesn’t have to be any of these sources. It could be a new age writer such as Marianne Williamson or Ekhart Tolle, a poet such as Mary Oliver or Maya Angelou, or an inspirational leader such as Nelson Mandela. How we step into the practice of Svadhyaya is using the vehicle that takes us into an evolving version of our highest self. And that ride is a personal journey of exploration.
I have been a perpetual student even when I had resistance to it following the completion of my graduate work. I “swore” that I was finished with study and “never again”! Yet, since that time my study has become deeply personal, extensive and ongoing. I often feel like I’m more of a student than ever before and I look for sweeter and sweeter nuggets that I wish to digest. The result is that not only do I connect into my own innermost Divine Self, but that connection seeps out into everything that I do…relationships, teaching yoga and connecting to people I don’t even know.
The path of student is often a solitary pursuit but it becomes even richer when we share parts of the process with others. That’s why having a teacher who pushes us to the edge of our current knowing is vital as is having a supportive community in which to share the journey. So check out what books are sitting on your bedside table. Are they taking you deeper into your own inner realm of knowing or pulling you further away?
Please share…we are in this together!
