Fourth Niyama - Svadhyaya

The fourth Niyama is, "Svadhyaya," as described by Maharishi Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. Svadhyaya literally means self-inquiry. Sva means "self" and adhyaya means "inquiry."

Some Yoga teachers often refer to Svadhyaya as "self-study," but this subject deserves more attention. There are many methods for self-education, and the future will be filled with many more options. So, Yoga students commonly ask, "What would be the correct method for self-study?"

There is no single answer to this question, but the beginning of self-study starts the day a Yoga student decides to be present in his or her practice. For Hatha Yoga students, this may occur as an epiphany during Asana practice, because the emphasis was based upon mastering Asana, Pranayama, and thought.

For a student of Jnana Yoga, this epiphany might occur during a reading of scriptures or after a meditation session. So, there are many methods, which can create a revelation during Yoga practice; but all of them require a higher level of concentration and focus.

To discover who you really are is one of the greatest rewards of Yoga practice. We may, or may not, like what we see, but our past inherent responses to daily situations, and our habits, give us measurements to clearly see which path is our proper direction.

For some Yoga students, this is called the power of intuition or "gut feeling." When describing this to Yoga teachers, I place more emphasis on how the heart feels. If you are about to make an ethical choice, and you give it deep thought, you feel gratification. Therefore, you are "doing the right thing."

On the other hand, if you felt that revenge would give you gratification, your intuition is off. Visualize all the people, including you, who may suffer from an act of revenge. How does your heart feel? Forgiving, and compromising, can also be part of doing the right thing.

Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. riyoga.com riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-Book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

? Copyright 2007 ? Paul Jerard / Aura Publications