Svadhyaya off the mat

In the last post, we talked about Self-study on the mat, in our yoga practices. In this post, we will focus on Self-study off the mat. Svadhyaya in our daily lives.

Just as our yoga practice can be filled with exploration and observation, so can our daily activities. Beryl Bender Birch talks about being present in every moment. She says even when you are just chopping carrots, just chop carrots! What she means by that is, be present in that moment, observe, be aware of what you are doing and why.

Where did the carrots come from? Who grew them? How bright is their color? What do they smell like? Who is it that is chopping them?

When you sit down to your meal consider, where did the food come from? Who grew or raised it? Who brought it to market? Who prepared it? Was it prepared with love?

Observe how the food looks, how it smells, how it feels on your tongue, and how it tastes. Observe how the food makes you feel in the moment. Ask yourself, who is it that is smelling and tasting the food? Who is it that is having this feeling about the food?

Just as a meal can be nourishing and provide our bodies with energy, observing ourselves and how we experience the food can be nourishing in a different way. We are provided a different kind of energy. We may experience nourishment and energy that fuels our consciousness and strengthens that sense that we are all part of the greater whole.

Thank you for stopping by. Next time, some final thoughts on Svadhyaya.