Svadhyaya: Finding the Lightness Within

Self-reflection through svadhyaya is a powerful way to examine and understand what makes you you. Our mental landscape is constantly flowing. Every moment of every day our thoughts, emotions, energy levels, habits, and even external influences interact and compete with what we perceive as truth and reality. Even in sleep, our minds are busy dreaming.

Our mental space has a profound effect on our overall sense of well-being. If we aren’t observant, our mental health can lead to states of imbalance or unwellness. Yogic philosophy offers a nuanced understanding of the mind, describing it through frameworks as the koshas (layers of being), gunas (qualities of nature), chitti vrittis (fluctuations of the mind), kleshas (obstacles), and samskaras (habitual patterns). From a modern perspective, our lived experiences shape how we interpret the world. This can lead to either comprehension or misapprehension. Over time, these patterns become habits that influence whether we feel light or burdened.

The path of yoga, and svadhyaya in particular, is designed to bring clarity to our inner landscape. Through dedicated self-inquiry, we begin to release unhelpful habits and cultivate actions that support our growth, balance, and well-being.

Where Does Suffering Come From?

Within the manomaya and vijnanamaya koshas, the mental and wisdom layers of our being, the dynamic energy of the gunas influences how we interpret life and shape our perception of experiences. These energies manifest as tamas (inertia and dullness), rajas (activity and restlessness), and sattva (clarity and harmony). The flow of our mental space can shift between these three states, directly affecting the chitti vrittis, the fluctuations of the mind.

There are five chitti vrittis: comprehension or right knowledge (truth), perception, imagination, deep sleep, and memory. Among them, perception is the most active and the most influenced by the gunas. It is also the most impactful, as it informs both imagination and memory.

Perception, in turn, is shaped by five kleshas, or mental blockages, that obscure clarity and inner peace. The root of these obstacles is avidya, or ignorance. This isn’t ignorance in the conventional sense of being uneducated or uninformed; rather, it is a misunderstanding of reality that clouds our comprehension and prevents right knowledge.

The other four kleshas are asmita (ego), raga (attachment or desire for things), dvesa (refusal or rejection), and abhinivesa (fear, particularly fear of loss or death). These kleshas collectively distort our thinking, feed our emotional reactivity, and perpetuate suffering, known in Sanskrit as duhkha. 

Duhkha is often translated as suffering or misery, but as T.K.V. Desikachar explains, it’s “best described as a feeling of being restricted.”(3) It is a state of mental contraction, not necessarily tied to physical pain or illness, but to the way our minds interpret our experiences. It is a limiting state of mind that has a negative affect on how we act and how we interpret the actions of others.

In contrast, sukha, the opposite of duhkha, is a “sense of lightness and openness within.” Sukha is found within the third guna: sattva, clarity and harmony. In sattva, there is no suffering. In Sanskrit, “su” means “good” or “happy,” and “kha” means “space” or “place,” making sukha a “good space” or “happy place.”(3) When sukha emerges, the mind is clear.

Yoga offers a path to reduce duhkha and cultivate sukha through practices like meditation (dhyana), self-inquiry (svadhyaya), and reframing negative thoughts through pratipaksha bhavana. When we become aware of our suffering, we take the first crucial step toward liberation, moving closer to samadhi, the blissful of pure consciousness.

Understanding Ignorance (Avidya)

Suffering arises in many forms: when we don’t get what we want, when we lose what we value, when we resist change, or when we let fear and ego lead our actions. These reactions are natural but often rooted in deeper layers of ignorance (avidya).

Ignorance isn’t always obvious. It can hide beneath the surface, buried deep within our unconscious patterns. Feeling as though we've "figured it all out" is itself a sign of subtle ignorance, as the mind is always susceptible to new forms of disillusion. Ego, attachment, aversion, and fear often act as expressions of ignorance, each taking prominence at different times. They are rarely balanced; usually, one or two dominate while the others quietly wait their turn.

Though ignorance can arise from rajasic energy, it is most closely associated with tamas, the inertia that keeps us stuck in outdated beliefs and behaviors. According to the Yoga Sutra, our actions are either positive or negative, depending on how much ignorance is involved. There are two main actions: ones that reduce ignorance and those that reinforce it. Even inaction has consequences, as passivity can allow harmful patterns to persist.

Yoga provides tools to break through this ignorance and replace it with clarity. Through ethical living, conscious breathing, physical conditioning, meditation, and introspective practices, we can access the deeper layers of self and lighten our inner world.

Samskaras: The Patterns of Our Behavior

Interwoven with avidya (ignorance) and the other kleshas are our samskaras, the deeply embedded habits and behavioral patterns formed by how we perceive and process past experiences. These patterns are also shaped by the chitti vrittis, which themselves are influenced by the ever-shifting energy of the gunas. This complex interplay creates grooves in our consciousness, mental habits that can keep us stuck, often repeating the same mistakes.

Samskaras or habits can be either positive or negative. One of the gifts of the yogic path is the ability to recognize which habits no longer serve us and work towards releasing them. As we cultivate healthier patterns, the older, less helpful ones naturally begin to fade. Through self-awareness and intentional practice, we create space for new, positive samskaras to take root.

In yogic philosophy, our thoughts and emotions emerge from the interactions among the gunas, chitti vrittis, and kleshas within the manomaya and vijnanamaya koshas. From a modern scientific lens, this mirrors what we understand about the brain: thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are shaped by neural pathways that develop in response to experience.

This ability of the brain to change and adapt, called neuroplasticity, is what allows us to shift from old patterns to new ones. Neuroplasticity enables the brain to form new connections, solve problems differently, and integrate experiences in new ways. However, this process is energetically demanding, requiring both oxygen and glucose to support the formation of new neural pathways or samskaras.(4)

The yoga path naturally supports this process. Practices like pranayama enhance oxygen flow to the brain, while the niyama saucha encourages mindful eating and clean living. Together, these practices nourish the brain with what it needs to build and reinforce new, supportive habits. A yoga-inspired life supports the mind and body in unlearning limiting patterns and stepping into greater clarity and alignment with our higher self.

How to Use Self-Reflection To Transform Samskaras

Samskaras often operate like unconscious mini-routines; habits that play out automatically with little intentional thought. Whether these patterns are healthy or harmful, the brain prioritizes what it perceives as essential for survival. If a behavior has been reinforced over time, the brain will reward it with dopamine, a neurotransmitter and hormone associated with pleasure and motivation.(2)

Unfortunately, this is why breaking unhealthy habits can feel so difficult. When we try to let go of an ingrained pattern, the brain may interpret this change as a threat to our survival. In response, the sympathetic nervous system is activated and we may experience stress, anxiety, or discomfort. Returning to the familiar habit triggers another release of dopamine, reinforcing the old pattern and keeping us stuck in unhelpful samskaras.(1)

Instead of expecting an overnight transformation, it's vital to approach this work with patience and self-compassion. Growing pains are a part of the process and that's okay. Rather than criticize ourselves for setbacks, we can use the practice of svadhyaya to explore the roots of our behaviors. We can ask ourselves, what triggers our reactions? Or what deeper needs are we trying to meet?

Pratipaksha bhavana is the yogi way to reframe a situation by removing ourselves as the subject so we can see a different perspective. This practice helps to let go of limiting beliefs and generate more sattva energy. Self-reflection teaches us how to “see both sides, to be able to see what we are and what we are not.”(3) When we step out of the narrow lens of ego and habitual thought, we open ourselves to new possibilities and are able to dissolve limiting beliefs. .

This is not just an intellectual process; it's energetic and transformational. Self-reflection invites in clarity, harmony, and truth. Through it, we begin to see both sides of ourselves: who we are and who we are not. With that insight, we begin to calm our mental energy and move closer to our essential nature that is peaceful, aware, and free.

Concluding Thoughts

When we engage in self-reflective practices, we begin the gentle but powerful work of clearing away ignorance and easing our soul. We discover unhelpful patterns and gradually let them go, lightening the weight of duhkha. In their place, we create space for sukha, a feeling of openness, ease, and love. With each conscious step toward our Higher Self, we invite more sattva, more clarity and balance, into our mental and emotional landscape.

Transforming the energy of our mental space is not an overnight process, but instead, is a lifelong journey with many bumps and detours along the way. But even the detours can be a part of the path. With ahimsa, or compassion toward ourselves, we can reflect on who we are, who we’ve been, and who we are becoming; not with judgment, but with love.

Yoga teaches us how to examine our thoughts, reframe our perspectives through pratipaksha, and build positive samskaras that align with our truest self. Through consistent practice, these small choices accumulate, gradually reshaping and reinforcing new habits that will support our well-being.

Digging deep into our minds and hearts can be challenging, even painful at times. But in that vulnerability lies profound growth. Through self-loving svadhyaya, you will discover how much you actually like yourself, maybe even love yourself. Just as you are.

Bibliography

1 - Calechman, Steve. “How to Break a Bad Habit.” Harvard Health Publishing, May 2, 2022.

2 - Cleveland Clinic. “Dopamine.”

3 - Desikachar, T.K.V. The Heart of Yoga, 80-90. Inner Traditions International, 1995.

4 - Sieff, Jessica. “The Neuroscience of Behavioral Change: Why Intention, Attention and Persistence Matter.” Notre Dame News, January 31, 2023.

5 - Stephens, Mark. Teaching Yoga Book, 109. North Atlantic Books, 2010.

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