Svadhyaya is a sanskrit term for self study. It is described as an essential second step in the process of self mastery called YOGA. Yoga means union. It is a natural state of bliss/flow that comes from living with knowledge and awareness of our own being and our environment.

I invite you to contemplate a few vital questions: 

How well do you know yourself?

What else would you like to know about yourself? 

How would you describe yourself?

How would you narrate your story? 

You are a unique soul with a perfectly suited body and mind to complement your special journey. Your success, wellbeing and fulfilment is determined by your authenticity. It is therefore imperative that we know ourselves in great detail. We must know ourselves better than anyone. Especially in this world of guidelines, protocols and statistics that demands compliance and seeks to commodify our existence. 

Fortunately, we do not have to go on an arduous mission to gain this knowledge. It is within you. We also have access to knowledge systems and tools to awaken our inner wisdom. We have access to professional coaches and guides to support us. 

1. Our experience of love, safety and attuned care as a baby is perhaps the first step to knowing ourselves. Love enables us to connect with another. Being seen and loved helps us realize and live true to our nature. Lifestyle medicine rightly recognizes positive relationships as an important lifestyle pillar for our health and wellbeing. 
2. The simple practice of observing our world with our awareness and reflecting on our daily experiences is a profound way to understand who we are, our reactions, responses, desires, aversions and needs.
3. The Ayurvedic concept of 3 doshas comprehensively describes your unique attributes based on the characteristic distribution of the 5 elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether) within you. This signature composition of the 5 elements play an important role in determining your physical built, desires, habits, hobbies, lifestyle choices, strengths, weakness, psychosocial inclinations and so much more. It helps us understand our true physical and mental body and holistically address the root cause of our imbalances which affect our thoughts, emotions and actions. It is an essential guide to daily self-care. 

          Practical Ayurveda By Shivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre is a great book for starters seeking to understand their dosha constitution and imabalances.

4. Reading timeless traditional and spiritual literature can helps us understand some common features of human life, the material world and the impact of the material world on our body, senses, mind and intellect & vice versa. 
5. To live authentically and with courage, it is vital to know and articulate your core values and purpose. Your values act as your compass, helping you choose your path, actions and make aligned decisions. Often, much of the chaos and friction in our life can be explained by the misalignment of our actions with our deepest values. 

Through our coaching, we aim to understand your unique nature and use it to analyze your history, decode your patterns of thought and emotion, make personalized lifestyle choices and align your life with your nature, towards your goals/purpose.