Know Thyself: Svadhyaya
By Carrie Hood
Svadhyaya, deriving from the Sanskrit words “Sva,” or self, and “Adhyaya,” learning or study, is the fourth of the five niyamas. In Barbara Stoler Miller’s translation of Master Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, she points out that the three final niyamas are so important that they are mentioned twice in the text. The first mention is in the very opening of Part Two, where Patanjali begins to explain the active performance of yoga. Verse 2.1 states:
“The active performance of yoga involves ascetic practice, study of sacred lore and dedication to the Lord of Yoga.”
Looking closely, we recognize that Master Patanjali has begun his description of the actual practice of yoga by emphasizing these final three Niyamas – Tapas, Svadhyaya and Ishvara Pranidhana – as making up the very core of the practice. Barbara Stoler Miller goes on to posit that “these three practices are highlighted here to emphasize their particular efficacy in preparing the novice yogi for the arduous discipline that leads to pure contemplation by diminishing the forces that obstruct the path.”
The definition of svadhyaya, or self-study, relates specifically to the reading of sacred lore and chanting of devotional mantras. But, without the actual study of ourselves in relation to those texts, it’s merely an intellectual exercise. We can read all of the sacred texts cover to cover, chant all of the most beautiful mantras and pass a university-level Sanskrit exam, but if all of this book-work isn’t accompanied by self-reflection, or, as Thich Nhat Hanh calls it, Mindful Looking, what do we gain?
Encountering the concept of Svadhyaya, I, at first, wondered if any of us really need encouragement to think more about ourselves. Speaking strictly for me, we are pretty self-focused and self-ish already. Do we really need to practice that? But without that mindful inward gaze, there is no way to grow.
When we first embark on the path of self-study, making the effort to mindfully look at ourselves, it might be easy to get down on ourselves or be disappointed by what we find. We might discover that we are more judgmental than we realized, or tell white lies. I once was eavesdropping on a conversation, during a set change at an outdoor concert in Manhattan, wherein one man was telling another how shocked he was by what he saw when he began to practice Svadhyaya at a nearby yoga center. He discovered that he wasn’t quite as virtuous as he had believed himself to be. I could totally relate!
But the texts provide the road map for how to work with whatever it is that we find, starting right where we are, in this moment. As we know, The Yoga Sutras provide the yamas and niyamas. The Way of the Bodhisattva gives us the 6 Perfections. The Lam Rim synthesizes all of these texts, and more, into an actual map of the steps on the path. These are only three of the sacred texts that are at our disposal. It is truly amazing that we have such texts right at our fingertips. This mindful looking is not easy, but we have a place to start when we are ready to give up on the status quo.
Accumulation of wisdom doesn’t usually happen the first time we encounter a particular text. It takes time for it to ripen and become fully integrated. Self-study helps to create a more meaningful experience of the texts. In my life, I have several examples of this, but the one that stands out the most for me had to do with this verse from The Way of the Bodhisattva, by Master Shantideva.
Chapter 5, v. 13
“Where would I find enough leather
To cover the entire surface of the earth?
But with leather soles beneath my feet,
It’s as if the whole world has been covered.”
This message didn’t ripen in me until I heard myself verbally abuse someone who put his little dog poo bag into my garbage can. I had become obsessed and grossed out by this practice and I had finally caught someone in the act. Aha! My opportunity! In the end, our exchange was so unpleasant and upsetting to my sense of who I was that I searched in vain for that man in order to apologize. I imagine he never walked down my street again! If this encounter made him feel half as bad as it had made me feel, then I wanted to be sure that it never happened again.
That’s when, in a moment of self-reflection, I realized that Master Shantideva was asking me to stop expecting the world to conform to my preferences and to instead put on my shoes of patience, forgiveness, compassion, tolerance or whatever the situation called for.
Looking back at the yamas and niyamas that we have studied since January, it can seem that they build on each other, becoming increasingly personal and complicated as we move through the list. But, as we round the bend toward the finish line, we realize that they do not work in a line, and that there actually is no finish line. Following these tenets of yoga is more like a whack-a-mole game. Just when we think that we’ve achieved some level of insight, an old klesha, or mental affliction, such as anger or jealousy, pops up to remind us that this is never finished.
Each time we stumble, we have to (or get to) pick ourselves up, dust off, and return to the beginning, working with the particular yama or niyama we tripped over, continually and mindfully observing our internal landscape. In doing so, we return again and again to Patanjali’s actions and observances, allowing them to become more deeply ingrained in the way we move through the world. Perhaps the practice is not about reaching a point where we no longer stumble, but about learning to recognize when we have, and gently finding our way back to the path.
On the Mat:
- Poses that foster introspection, such as forward folds. This would include Child’s Pose, Standing & Seated Forward Folds, Downward Facing Dog
- Mountain and Tree Pose – focus on feeling the distribution of the weight shifting. Use both outer visual Drishti and inner focus for balance.
- Crow Pose or other inversions – confrontational poses that challenge us to face our fears
- Meditation or visualization
- Pranayama – Dirga (or 1-2-3), Sama Vritti (equal inhale & exhale), Ujaiya Breath (victorious breath)
Off the Mat:
- Periodic phone gong or bell – This is a reminder to stop, breathe, and to check-in with how I’m feeling, behaving, and thinking. My co-workers are now accustomed to the gong and they too stop and breathe.
- Journaling or keeping the “6 Times a Day Book”
- Study sacred texts. It is especially helpful to study in community.
Recommended Books:
Gradual Awakening, Miles Neale, PsyD
YOGA, Discipline of Freedom, translated Yoga Sutra by Barbara Stoller Miller
A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, trans. Stephen Batchelor
https://www.scribd.com/doc/150398276/A-Guide-to-the-Bodhisattva-s-Way-of-Life-pdf
Quotes:
“Svadhyaya is more relevant than ever in today’s fast-paced world, where distractions often hinder self-awareness. By engaging in practices of self-study and reflection, individuals can cultivate clarity, purpose, and a deeper connection to their inner truth” – Jack Utermoehl (Asivana)
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” — Aristotle
“Know thyself” — Socrates
“The unexamined life is not worth living” — Socrates
“Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom” — Tao Te Ching (Laozi)
“Until you take the journey of self-reflection, it is almost impossible to grow or learn in life” – Iyanla Vanzant