Svadhyaya: Yoga for Self-Study
Svadhyaya, or self-study, is at the heart of yoga—a personal and evolving journey of inner awareness. Through mindful breath, movement, and stillness, we learn to listen to the body’s wisdom, honor our unique path, and grow with curiosity and gratitude.
Yoga requires taking a look at oneself and becoming your observer.
In this yoga for svadhyaya, we take on the practice of self-study.
Mindful Movement: A Yoga Practice Rooted in Self-Study and Awareness
This is an on-demand record of last week’s yoga session on Nostr, aka "Yogastr," where we journeyed inward—exploring not just movement, but the rich landscape of self-awareness, mindfulness, and breath. The practice was designed to guide you toward a deeper connection with yourself, using the body as both a mirror and a teacher.
Setting Intentions and Embracing Self-Study
We began by setting clear intentions. This moment of grounding allowed us to enter the space fully present. Early in the practice, we explored self-study, or svadhyaya, a concept in yoga that invites us to become students of our own inner world. What does it mean to observe without judgment? How can we listen more closely to what the body is telling us?
Breath, Body, and Balance
As we moved through the early postures, the breath became our anchor. Observing it—without trying to change it—offered a gentle entry point into mindfulness. From there, each movement became an opportunity to cultivate awareness of bodily sensations and limitations. We flowed through poses that emphasized strength and balance, encouraging us to stay present in every transition.
Deepening the Practice
Midway through, the pace shifted. We explored deeper poses and engaged the core, inviting both physical and mental resilience. Twists and stretches encouraged us to find new edges—always guided by breath and inner listening. This portion of the practice emphasized the importance of recognizing and respecting where we are today, without comparing to yesterday or tomorrow.
Integration Through Stillness
The session closed with restorative poses and a final reflection. In stillness, we were invited to absorb and integrate everything the practice had revealed. This quiet closing allowed for spaciousness, gratitude, and clarity. It’s here—in the pause—that insights often arise.
Takeaways for Your Practice
- Self-study is personal: It looks different for everyone and evolves over time.
- Mindfulness is always accessible: Simply returning to the breath can recenter you.
- Your body holds wisdom: Listening closely can help prevent injury and build trust.
- Movement and breath are partners: Flowing together, they promote ease and focus.
- Strength, balance, and flexibility all grow from consistency and curiosity.
- Integration is just as important as movement: Don’t skip the stillness.
- Gratitude enriches the experience: Even small moments of thanks can shift perspective.
Each pose, each breath, and each moment in practice is an invitation to come home to yourself. Whether you're on the mat for five minutes or an hour, the journey inward always offers something new.
Interested in attending the live class?
I teach yoga every Monday LIVE on Nostr via the Nostr app Hivetalk. Here's the info:
Bring your whole self—and a yoga mat, water, and blanket to #yogastr
Join us on https://hivetalk.org/active at yoga time and pop into the room or follow the link I post on #nostr for the #plebchain 15 min before time:
5 pm Pacific 🌁
5 pm Arizona 🏜️ (@NostrPHX time zone!)
6 pm Mountain (Denver) 🗻
7 pm central 🌾
8 pm eastern 🗽
1:00 am utc (sorry, Europe) 🇪🇸
Free to attend, ⚡️ zap #V4V if you wish.
⭐️ Anna is now teaching yoga on Nostr on Thursday mornings at 6:00 Arizona time!
Read more about this excellent addition to v4v yoga!
What's up with Wimy.io?
Wimy stands for "Where Is My Yoga," and I joined last fall as a way to teach yoga to more students. Wimy will be changing its pricing structure this month and taking away the $14.99/mo premium subscription. You'll soon be able to subscribe to individual teachers like myself. My yoga classes are still FREE at Wimy!
I choose to upload my recorded classes to Wimy rather than YouTube as I don't work for YT, I work for me. I'll literally NEVER get paid by that platform, so I took my videos down. The goal posts keep moving, my "woo woo" yoga & Reiki content was likely shadow banned. Wimy is a healthier alternative for me to share my wellness content as it doesn't require me to pay to join. It saves me money on a tech stack so that all I need to concentrate on is teaching you excellent yoga classes!
I will charge something in the future, but for now, I am uploading my classes for free!
