Yamas and Niyamas - Week 9 - Svadhyaya

Sutras II.40-II.45 describes the effects of practicing the five niyamas.  They are the internal disciplines or individual rules of conduct.  They are the positive and help one to follow the yamas.  If one is disciplined in niyama it will be easy to follow yama.

II.44  svadhyayat istadevata samprayogah

Self-study leads towards the realization of God or communion with one's desired deity.

Sva - self, the soul

dhyaya - study or meditation (see the word dhyana in there - another of the eight limbs of yoga), so actively meditation on the nature of the Self.

Svadhyaya - self study, reading and studying the scriptures and then putting them into practice in your own life, keeping yourself aware.

Yoga is the study of the self.  This study takes place from the skin inward to the inner sheaths and from the inner sheaths outward to the skin.  Intelligence, brought about by the practice of asana and pranayama acts to connect the awareness of the body with the core and the core with the body.

In the bigger picture of the world the importance of self-study is not lost.  When we know ourselves we can see and acknowledge oneness with the rest of the universe.  We can see that spark of divinity not only in ourselves but in all that surrounds us.  We know, with a deep knowledge down to our core that we are not separate. As Erich Schiffmann says in Moving into Stillness,

We are never not a part of the whole, never not at odds with the universe, and contrary to appearances, there are no enemies.  Therefore, we need not fear each other.

The study of the self is not easy though, we worry about what we might find out about ourselves.  Through svadhaya we gain more information.  With more information we can see that underneath our fear is goodness.  Erich Schiffmann says, " earth is school, and the main thing to learn is who you are." 

This is a mantra I say to myself and that I use to home school my kids..

Earth is School

and the main thing to learn is

Who You Are

When we know who we are, we know where we came from and where we are going. Truth.

Enjoy the school of life!

Namaste!

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com