The fourth niyama, Svadhyaya, is an aspect of yoga that has taken a hold of me in a way that feels truly holistic. I have begun to form a palpable link within between the body, mind, and spirit through daily study and development of a devotional routine - actions that lead to knowledge of the Self. And, strangely, these actions are not bound by goals or a narrow view of achievement.
Patanjali's Sutra 2.44 states: Svadhyayad ista-devata-samprayogah.
According to the interpretation of this sutra...
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The third niyama - tapas - is usually translated from Sanskrit to English as 'austerity'. Austerity is one of those words that comes with connotations of severity and withdrawal - along the lines of the yama, bramacharya, commonly translated as 'celibacy' (see previous post).
In the vernacular: quit, give up, diet, unplug.
Even the word 'practice' can make us twinge at the thought of hardship. I have endeavored to explore this reaction - the hankering that erupts when one supposes that full ind...
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