Yoga – what do you see in your reflection?

You may come to yoga classes to build fitness, strength and flexibility; which of course you will over time; however, through these practices, right from the start, we are engaging in the act of Swadhyaya or self-reflection.  We flow through postures using breath and movement, building concentration… we scan the body, we bring our awareness to our breath, we still the mind…all these are practices of self-reflection.  By doing this, we get to know ourselves more honestly and see ourselves for what we are, not who we think we are.

Self-reflection is about being open, non-judgmental and continuously curious about ourselves. Not our friends, partners or family members, but just ourselves. It’s through being curious about who we are that we become more self-aware, and begin to understand what helps us and what hinders us on our path through life.

Although the idea of Swadhyaya was written thousands of years ago it’s just as important – if not more so – to us today. We can often go through life without stopping for a moment to look within ourselves, study our values, observe our actions and truly see the impact we have on others by our thoughts, words and deeds.  The yogi is encouraged to engage in self-reflection by analysing all of these things.

So how well do you practice Swadhyaya in your life?

Take a moment now… reflect on your breath. Is it fast or slow? Is it deep or shallow? Are you allowing your diaphragm to move fully? What was the breath or pranayama practice that you did in your last class – can you remember? Practice this now and then remain seated for a while to see the effect it has upon your breath.