23/11/2025
Lately I’ve been sitting with the idea of svadhyaya - self-study.
Not in the neat, tidy, inspirational-quote way… but in the real, gritty, quietly confronting way yoga invites us into.
Self-study isn’t about fixing ourselves.
It’s about meeting what’s already here with honesty.
The patterns we repeat.
The stories we cling to.
The tenderness we avoid.
The parts of ourselves we outgrow before we realise we have.
On the mat, svadhyaya shows up in the smallest moments, the pause before you move, the breath you choose to take, the shape you decide to soften or explore.
Off the mat, it becomes a mirror. The way we speak to ourselves. The way we react. The way we love. The way we grow.
This practice teaches us that awareness is the first step, and compassion is the second. We study ourselves not to judge, but to understand. Not to perfect, but to evolve.
As we move toward the end of the year, this theme keeps whispering to me:
Pay attention. Notice what’s shifting. Notice what’s asking to be released. Notice what’s quietly ready to become.
Self-study is a lifelong practice, and every time you step into the studio, you’re choosing to come home to yourself again.
See you on the mat this week.
Much love, Simone and her musings.
