This week we began our time together by reviewing the final reflection projects of former graduates. This slide presentation is to support you in seeing the variety of ways you may choose to share your final reflection!
We also explored two Niyamas, Svadhyaya (self study) and Tapas (Discipline) in our continued exploration of yoga philosophy. For the practical workshop, breakout groups were invited to use templates from the facilitation guide to co create a practice for a specific population.
As you review the recording, please feel welcome to share what resonated with you! If you prefer prompts, please consider sharing your thoughts on how Svadhyaya and Tapas may be supportive topics to discuss with those you serve or how you might adapt a practice for the unique population you currently serve or plan to serve.
It felt oddly in alignment to be watching this recording on a day where I called in sick to work. I spent the last 2 weeks traveling, and then immediately came home to work and social obligations. My body responded with sickness and telling me to rest. Rest is something I have historically struggled with, feeling like I have to constantly be achieving or doing rather than just being. This was instilled into me very young. My mom was the type that only allowed us to stay home sick from school if we threw up. That was the threshold for sickness. A cold? Put some cough drops in your pocket and don’t miss the bus! This way of thinking has made me struggle to take sick days into adulthood. I would tell myself I can “push through” or “it’s not that bad.”
I think this relates to this lesson’s topic of how tapas, or self-discipline, can sometimes be harmful, and when we cross into that place of harm is where it no longer serves us. Waking up still feeling quite unwell today, I gave myself permission to stay home and truly rest and recover, knowing that I will likely recover more quickly than if I tried to “push through” and go to work. And I haven’t shamed myself once for it (woo!). Sometimes I catch myself doing that negative self-talk, saying things like, “You’re just being lazy,” or “You should at least be doing chores while you are off.” Today, I have been trying to remind myself that resting is not the absence of discipline. Rest is actually the disciplined choice because it is what my body actually needs right now.
I really appreciated the conversation around this topic and how discipline should still be rooted in compassion and grace for yourself. You shouldn’t shame yourself into behaviors just because you feel like you “have to” do something. Similar to what other folks shared in group, I also find myself doing this with my workout routine - shaming myself into a workout, or bombarding my mind with negative self-talk if I miss a workout.
I have historically thought of discipline as forcing myself to do something regardless of how I feel (shoutout hustle culture telling us “no one cares, work harder!”). But I think true discipline is having enough awareness to recognize what I need in the moment and enough commitment to honor that need. Sometimes discipline means still getting my ass to the gym when I would rather sit on the couch. Sometimes it means following through on something that is difficult or uncomfortable. And like today, it means doing absolutely nothing (besides catching up on PYP recorded lessons lol) and allowing myself to recover without rest being something that needs to be earned. The type of self-discipline that recognizes current well-being and needs with compassion and grace is what I have been actively trying to practice recently. You can still be disciplined while recognizing your humanity and changing needs.
Svadhyaya (self -study) and Tapas (discipline)
These words are pretty unfamiliar to me. Looking back, I didn't really learn how to self-study or discipline myself until recently.
I was a good kid but never good at school or sports or anything growing up. For a long time, I had blamed my parents wishing that they taught me how to discipline myself so that I could achieve something meaningful in my life. I guess I have learnt how to give up first than how to self- study or discipline towards my goal. The word 'discipline' seemed even luxurious to me. But after I learnt deeper meaning of Svadhyaya and Tapas, they are not luxurious but sacred to me now. I didn't think about the connection between discipline with self forgiveness, self compassion at all. Self discipline can be self forgiveness. Supportive to myself, kind to myself, no harm to myself are all forms of self discipline and discipline comes from self compassion as well. I found this is profoundly beautiful. It gives me so much different perspectives of the meaning of 'Discipline'
I was able to be present for the first two hours and then I had to step off the zoom session due to power issues, all the wifi in my house stopped working so this reflection is for the last hour of the session. I really enjoyed this weeks self reflection/exploration because my family is very dysfunctional and I feel that I might carry a lot of those dysfunctional behaviors or things from the past into my life and relationships. I have been trying to accept the radical truths of my life and the society I live in. I internalize quite a few things in my life that can be explained by external things like politics and economics which I think a lot of people especially in this cohort but also in my life can relate to. For a long time I struggled with the idea of a doomsday event like climate change killing us all or something along those lines. I felt helpless because I couldn't understand why nobody else cared as much as I did. Eventually I decided to start talking about it, and in my friendships and relationships I noticed people did care, but they noticed it or reacted to it differently. Not bad or good or the same as me, just different.
There comes a lot of discomfort in exposing the radical truths even positive ones, because there is a sense of vulnerability with self study. Some people (especially me) struggle with finding truth within because it means it is real. Real is scary. we spend so much of our lives rushing and pretending and putting things off that we forget a piece of ourselves and finding that takes real courage and motivation.
Paving the way to create the future I want and need is something I try to do every day. Good habits create good behaviors.
I also really liked what Ann and Andrew said after the breakout rooms about queuing language, it can be so difficult to actually correct that language and it come naturally to you but everyone noticing it is the first step!!
I think Svadhyaya (self-study) and Tapas (self-discipline) can be especially supportive topics for the people we hope to guide. Svadhyaya can encourage participants to notice their thoughts, behaviors, and patterns without judging themselves, while Tapas can focus on building consistency and taking intentional steps toward change. I would be careful to frame both concepts with compassion, especially for people who may already feel that they are being judged or expected to change by others.
In understanding Svadhyaya and Tapas, i can see how they both feel relevant to my own growth. Svadhyaya reminds me to look honestly at my thoughts, habits, and reactions, while Tapas reminds me that growth requires consistency even when something feels uncomfortable or difficult. I can sometimes be hard on myself when I feel like I am not doing enough, so I am learning to balance discipline with self-compassion. Together, these practices encourage me to understand myself better while continuing to make intentional choices.
For a justice-involved population, we can adapt the practice by emphasizing choice, accessibility, and personal agency. Rather than presenting yoga as something participants have to do “correctly,” I would offer options and invite them to notice what works for their own bodies and experiences. This could create an opportunity to explore accountability and self-awareness while still recognizing that meaningful change happens at an individual pace.