Meeting Ourselves & Emotions Where We Are
‘To know yourself as the being underneath the thinker, the stillness underneath the mental noise, the love and joy underneath the pain, is freedom, salvation and enlightenment.’ - Eckhart Tolle
The yoga philosophy of svadhyaya, or self-study, is the fourth of five niyamas that teaches us to observe, without judgment, our thoughts, words, actions, and reactions. Through svadhyaya, we can learn about ourselves and identify the next step we need to take in our healing journey. As we learn to hone our ability to observe ourselves without trying to undo or analyze or compare, we drop into our inner wisdom--that true voice that knows what the next right step is.
When we are struggling with an eating disorder, we use our control over food and body to comfort, nurture, distract, and resolve our issues instead of looking at what’s beneath the surface. In an effort to avoid feeling uncomfortable emotions, we cope by either bingeing or restricting in some form or another. Engaging with food in a disordered way will never solve the problem, and ultimately, the source of the feelings has to be dealt with.
In order to understand our behaviors better, we must be open to meeting ourselves where we are. Connecting with our senses is one way to do that. Sensations in the body are insights into our emotional states. Emotions are the communication between ourselves and our innate wisdom. Naming, describing, and talking to our emotions can help lessen their intensity by signaling to our brains that we are present. Suppressing emotions will only make them louder and more persistent.
When we acknowledge that emotions are simply temporary sensations passing through, we take away their power and gain a sense of control. The willingness to feel any and all emotions without acting on them by numbing or pulling away is a superpower. Processing our emotions with awareness provides us the capability to handle anything life throws at us.
Reflect on Svadhyaya in Your Recovery
In the spirit of svadhyaya, I invite you to reflect on these questions to explore self-study in your life:
What am I feeling now?
What do I need now to deal with my feelings? (a new environment, a chat with a friend, to write in a journal, to go for a walk?)
Have I gotten enough quality sleep?
Do I currently have a balance between work, family, relationships, play, and rest?
Am I being fed and nourished consistently and adequately?
Guided Meditation for Practicing Svadhyaya
When you have a few moments of quiet and a willingness to check in with yourself, I invite you to try a guided meditation on self-study.
I’d love to hear how you focus on self-study in your recovery. Please feel free to share in the comments. And if you’re looking for support on your recovery journey, please don’t hesitate to reach out.