June Sadhana
Hello beautiful community!
Thank you so much for your continued commitment to this Sangha and to our monthly Sadhana. We hope these practices and prompts serve as reminders in the moments when we forget our authenticity and our purpose. Even in my 17 years of practicing Yoga and Therapy, I have days when it is really difficult to remember my "why". For me, Yoga Philosophy serves as one of my tools in the moments when life feels messy and I'm unsure of how to move forward.
In the Yoga Sutras there are two niyamas (guiding principles for how to live well) that I'd love to invite into your awareness for this month. Swadyaya (pronouncd Svad-ya-ya) and Tapas. Swadyaya is self inquiry and Tapas is devotion. It is believed that these two guiding pricinples are like an infinity symbol that continue to inform one another.
As we continue on the path of learning who we are, becoming more embodied, embracing our full humanity, and living a more aligned and spiritually connected life, it might feel more challenging, lonely, and groundless first. This is natural and normal as we start to create and design a more true and beautiful life. We might find oursevles craving different experiences, levels of connection, nourishing our bodies differently, and making different choices. There is a letting go process that is necessary to make space for an aligned life.
Swadyaya (self inquiry) reminds us to consistently turn inward to modulate and moniter what we are feeling and how it is showing up in our relationships and in our lives. From this place of unwavering trust of the information we receive from turning inward, we relentless devote ourselves to that which brings us closer to our truth, our values, and the life we desire.
How to find your own devotional practice for this month:
Morning Embodied Check in:
Conversation with your body: Hello body, what are you needing from me today? What is here for me to notice today?
Swadyaya Journal prompts:
What has energetically been filling your cup and making you feel most yourself lately? What % of your life would you say you feel fulfilled and alive?
What places/people/activites have been feeling out of alignment lately? What % of your life would you say you spend in places/with people/doing activities that are out of alignment?
Tapas Intention:
What can you commit to this month that would allow you to spend less time and energy with that which makes your feel out of alignment and more time and energy on that which makes you feel most yourself and more alive?
(examples include by are not limited to: morning journaling, a month free of alcohol, going to at least 5 events with live music, etc) There are no rules! All of you have to do is devote yourself to feeling a little more alive and little more yourself this month. And you are the only one who knows what will make that happen!
Feel free to let us know what your tapas this month is! Sometimes it can be helpful to share so we have an accountability buddy <3
Take care and be gentle with yourselves.
With love,
Jeanine
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