Living the Teachings
Exploring Svadhyaya, or self study, and other ancient teachings to embody yoga in our modern day lives. By Neeta Naidoo
Yoga today is generally taught, practiced and known for its asana practice, the physical postures, and even these movements are at times compromised. However, the physical movement that is being called ‘yoga’ has little to do with the actual phenomenon of what yoga is.
Yoga is, ultimately, a way of life encompassing all eight paths — the so-called eight limbs of yoga, according to ancient texts — not just asana (postures) and pranayama (modern day breathwork). It is a wonderful practice that aims to cleanse the body, open the heart, clear the mind, elevate your mood and energise your day. It will also increase your focus and productivity and develop your inner and outer strength, flexibility and promote overall wellbeing. It is an amazing practice!
But there is even more to yoga than this. B.K.S Iyengar once said: “The study of asana is not about mastering posture. It’s about using posture to understand and transform yourself.” We learn and practice the postures, then we allow the postures to learn about us. The postures are not the end goal, they are your vehicle or tools on a path of understanding, compassion and patience towards yourself and towards others.
Yoga has nothing to do with whether you can do a handstand, headstand or stand on one leg. It’s about what you do and how you react when what you want to happen doesn’t happen, or your expectations are not met.
Yamas and Niyamas are the first two limbs of yoga, outlined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and serve as ethical guidelines for living a more fulfilling life. Yamas are considered restraints or abstinences, focusing on how we interact with others, while Niyamas are observances or positive duties we cultivate towards ourselves.
In a nutshell, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a collection of 196 short verses that serve as a guide to attain wisdom and self realisation through yoga. The text is estimated to have been written in roughly 400 C.E., and is regarded by many as the basis of yoga philosophy.
YAMAS (RESTRAINTS)
• Ahimsa (non-violence): Refraining from harming oneself or others, both physically and emotionally.
• Satya (truthfulness): Speaking honestly and truthfully, and living in alignment with one's authentic self.
• Asteya (non-stealing): Refraining from taking what is not freely given, including time, energy, and resources.
• Brahmacharya (non-excess/continence): Practicing self discipline and moderation in all areas of life, often interpreted as celibacy but can also mean abstaining from unnecessary consumption.
• Aparigraha (non-possessiveness/non-grasping): Cultivating a detachment from material possessions and a willingness to share, avoiding greed and attachment.
“The study of asana is not about mastering posture. It’s about using posture to understand and transform yourself”
NIYAMAS (OBSERVANCES)
• Saucha (purity): Maintaining physical and mental cleanliness, including practicing good hygiene and cultivating a clear and focused mind.
• Santosha (contentment): Cultivating a state of inner peace and satisfaction, finding joy in what one has and accepting life's ups and downs with grace.
• Tapas (self-discipline/accepting intensity as purification): Engaging in practices that challenge and purify the body and mind, such as disciplined eating, meditation, and physical postures.
• Svadhyaya (self-study): Engaging in introspection and self reflection, studying the self and the world around us to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and the nature of reality.
• Isvara Pranidhana (surrender to the divine): Cultivating a sense of gratitude, faith, and surrender to a higher power or source of wisdom and guidance.
The word ‘yoga’ means very different things to different people. At the very core of our being lies an unshakable ground of happiness, wellbeing, peace and ease. So, however you practice (if at all), the aim is to experience this aspect of yourself, your true innate nature.
With continuous spinal deterioration post my spinal surgery 30 years ago, my practice continues to evolve, grow and bring balance to both sides of my body. I feel harmony on my right side while I feel the other side could easily belong to someone else. We could easily just say the practice is about balance. Right and left, yin and yang, fire and water, sun and moon.
SVADHYAYA (SELF-STUDY)
The fourth Niyama, Svadhyaya, allows us to dig a little deeper and to explore the nature of yoga itself. Self-enquiry takes place with patience persistence and constant practice, qualities which can support our ability to remain focused.
To study one’s own self, awareness needs to take place within our bodies as we practice asana, to realise the sensations within our bodies, and acknowledge thoughts, feelings or emotions that arise within. Opposites complement each other, working together sending messages— how one side feels heavy, the other light, strong-weak, energetic-tired, free-compressed, comfort discomfort. This ability that we cultivate can be applied in all areas of our life.
Awareness is non-judgmental. There is no need to analyse, but more to be aware and present in our own state of being. When I take a traditional yoga pose into a self-expression of myself and dig deeper, I feel the need to acknowledge those sensations and messages that arise even more.
When we balance pairs of opposite actions in the body and attitudes in the mind, we can engage and keep ourselves in the present moment for practice and in life.
AWARENESS
The goal of yoga is to come to a place of independence from the agitations of the mind and to a deeper connection with your own personal inner compass; a quiet, peaceful place within. From here, we are better able to handle the twists and turns of life. We have all experienced moments of calm, bliss okay-ness after a yoga/meditation practice. So, next time you practice, acknowledge areas in your physical body, breathing body, mental body of thoughts, emotions, and feelings that need to be taken care off to lead you to Anandamaya, your blissful body.
Practice with awareness and in awareness. Set an intention, a desire, and weave that into your practice and throughout your whole day. That is living yoga.
Connect with Neeta Naidoo on IG @neetaniyamayoga
Om Magazine
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