Mati Niyama: Self-Inquiry

MATI NIYAMA (SVADHYAYA): The Powers of Self-Reflection

The Yamas and Niyamas—ten of each—are yoga’s guiding principles for ethical living and self-discipline. They offer timeless wisdom to help us unlock our potential, both personally and professionally, while also breaking free from the endless cycles of struggle and dissatisfaction. When we live out of sync with these higher values or consistently avoid taking the high road, we can get stuck in what feels like an endless rut.

The middle of winter is an excellent time to dive into reflection and grow the roots of understanding. Svadhyaya, or Mati - a practice of pondering, and self-inquiry to our values, beliefs, and life. Svadhyaya in yoga philosophy is the art of turning inward to explore our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors with curiosity and compassion. Self-inquiry is essential to foster self-awareness, authenticity, and personal growth by helping us align with our core values and release the grip of our past conditioning. Psychologically, this practice builds emotional resilience, providing clarity and self-empowerment in moments of inner conflict.

Do I value success, but put in a bare minimum effort? Do I value kindness, but act judgmental towards others? Do I value nature preservation, but purchase plastic daily? Do I value intimacy, but avoid transparency? Do I value health, but drink soda, or watch TV every day instead of exercising?

With regular self-inquiry practice, we observe our behavior and how it compares to our values, what makes us anxious and reactive, the inner workings of our mind, how we relate to situations, and which beliefs keep us in the estate of resistance, rumination, and worries. Our beliefs and behavior either support our well-being and help us move forward, or prevent us from achieving our goals. By practicing self-reflection we dig deeper into our patterns and compare them with our values to clean up our plate.

Most importantly, Self-inquiry is not about judging ourselves but about observing with love and compassion, so we can understand our inner conflicts and take meaningful steps toward resolution and growth. Alongside Svadhyaya, the rest of Yamas and Niyamas practices like discipline (tapas), honesty (satya), and self-trust (astikya) serve as powerful tools to help us overcome challenges and align our lives with purpose and integrity.

5 Ways of implementing Self-Inquiry daily:

1. Ask yourself daily: Which one of my values did I live by today? Which challenge did I overcome today? Did anything make me feel upset or defensive? What am I grateful for today?

2. Meditate daily, even if it's only 5 minutes with a goal to tune out the outside data flood so you can glimpse inwards - our mind deserves love, attention, and rest.

3. Take yoga classes to reconnect the mind to the body for self-exploration, see what is going on within, what you need to let go of, and what to lean into to find your inner calm.

4. Journal before bed about your day on your lows and highs of the day, and answer the questions from the 1st point. Take walks to think about any of your challenges. Do not hesitate to ask for help to guide you out of repetitive patterns.

5. Read a particular book or listen to a podcast on the quality you want to develop, the challenges you are facing, or an aspect that you want to improve within yourself, and contemplate as you read. If you can see a therapist or any outside professional guidance to help you navigate the fascinating landscapes of the human psyche.

In what ways can you self-reflect this month?

Take time this month to contemplate this beautiful practice - and I look forward to seeing you in classes!

Sending so much love. Let's stay curious about self-care that serves our well-being, connection, and growth in every area of our precious life ❤️❤️❤️

Natasha & Glowing Team

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