Here’s Benny showing his enthusiastic zest for life, relishing the breezes up near Mt. Mitchell. His loving life smile reminds me of this quote from Swami Sivanada Radha, “After the demands of the ego and its greed have surrendered, the struggle for fulfillment of personal desires lessens; life takes on a new zest like a breath of fresh air.”
Svadhyaya is this week's topic. In brief, it's the process of becoming aware of the ego's demands and the ability to recognize when we're caught in the grip of them. It’s listed as the fourth Niyama in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
Svadhyaya is a compound Sanskrit word.
Sva = self, one’s own, the human soul
Dhyaya = meditating or contemplating on
Svadhyaya = self-reflection, introspection
As an ancient Hindu practice Svadhyaya was the discipline of memorizing and reciting ancient Vedic texts, presumably so that their spiritual wisdom would be transmitted to the memorizer.
As a yogic ethic, Svadhyaya has a slightly different meaning. Yogis practice svadhyaya by using a variety of methods for self-reflection in order to recognize and escape ego traps.
Traditional yogic methods of svadhyaya include the recitation of purifying mantras and contemplation of mental patterns. A modern yogini might inquire: How did I come to be in this messy state of mind? And how can I get out of it?
Today’s home practice will include reflections related to Svadhyaya as a means to free ourselves from moments when we’re gripped by ego clinging (Asmita). Fun stuff, hehe. No, really, I do think this is fun in that it’s a way for us to return to fully enjoying life more quickly and more often.
Let’s practice together!
Here’s a link to the recording:
Svadhyaya: 59 min. Flow & Yin (suggested Spotify playlist is in the Vimeo description that you’ll see once you click the link.)
https://vimeo.com/732239038/e00ab3e22f
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This recording is offered for free. If you enjoy it and know someone else who would, please forward this email :-)
If you’re able and would like to make a $1-$10 love offering, many thanks!
Paypal = shalarain@gmail.com
Venmo = @Shala-Worsley
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You can find me in the studio at Asheville Yoga Center. Here's my weekly class schedule:
Mondays in-person at Asheville Yoga Center:
4-5:15 Warm Gentle, Restorative, & Yin
5:30-6:45 Hot Vinyasa Flow & Yin
Wednesdays In-person at Asheville Yoga Center:
12-1:15 Hot Vinyasa Flow & Yin
Would love to see you there!
love, Shala
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