“Study thyself, discover the divine”

Svadyaya / Self-Study

Yoga Sutra 2.44: svādhyāyād iṣṭadevatā saṃprayogaḥ

“From self-study and reflection on sacred words, one attains contact, communion, and concert with that underlying natural reality or force.”

We turn towards lineage to access the wisdom that it started with and has been built on. These ancient teachings (and in yoga, we are talking about the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas) are what we are being directed to study; the teachings and the experiences our ancestors had with them. The teachings of Svadyaya come from before the written word; so we are talking about sitting around the fire and listening to the stories of the Elders and Wise Ones. This looked like the memorization and recitation of mantras, scriptures, and songs. It was an active involvement in a living tradition and this way is powerful.

Now in our modern predicament, there is a good chance that you did not inherit a sacred scripture or were cut off from lineage and tradition. As with most indigenous cultures, yoga has and still struggles with appropriation and colonization. There are many factors that cut us off from our ancestry. Personally, coming from a broken family, I missed out on the rich Muslim tradition when my father left and I was pulled from my Christian heritage when my mother felt the need to protect us from local priests. So for many of us, Svadyaya could mean doing the work of tracing our recent family lines and reconnecting with traditions lost. This, for many of us, means revealing and working to heal generations of trauma. Not easy or simple, and I can not think of more important work to understand who we are, where we come from, and where we are going. I would also hope that this work would not be taken lightly; if you embark on this path, ensure you have the support and love from community. This is one of the reasons why my buy-in to One Yoga is complete. Here I have found unwavering and uncompromising support on my own journey.

Through my study of the yoga tradition, and the clear vision it has given me, I can now swim in any wisdom ocean and see the Divine in all of creation. When we can find our way to these ancient and sacred scriptures and traditions, what we encounter is Truth. Eternal, divine truth. Once we can connect to this through study, and we can feel and embody its magic, we have our inspiration and guidance. It walks with us everywhere we go until the day that we realise that we, and all things, are That.

As the yogis say ' Tat Tvam Asi / You Are That '

I look forward to hearing your stories, friends.

Peace

Peter