Svadhyaya: Self-study

The following are the words of my teacher Sharath on the above Niyama:

Svadhyaya means studying what we have learned from our teacher: not only trying to understand what has been said, but deepening that understanding and expanding our knowledge by reading manuscripts and thinking for about the subject we are learning. Self-study is to engage out mind, to further our studies. It is out duty to do our homework, to practice and review what the guru has said, to go deeper into whatever yoga subject we are learning, and in understanding and experiencing the self and the divine. the teacher cannot push, he or she can only guid. If he or she shares who Ganapati is, the remover of obstacles, it is up to the student to find out more about Ganapati and those obstacles.

For some reason this has been on my mind today. Partly because I know my students never do this with what I say to them, I'm hard headed and draw hard headed people to my Mysore program lol. But, have I been doing this? The biggest advice Sharath has given me personally is about my diet. And so I have to think about that. He obviously thinks that is where the bulk of my work needs to be done. I overeat, for sure. I try to put the best things in that I can, but I don't cook and so resort to eating out and have to make the best choices I can on where to eat with what my body is needing at that time. But I also love pizza and lots of stuff that doesn't react well with my body anymore. Plus the quality of the food here isn't great, even at most of the restaurants that I will eat at. So for the next month I really need to pay attention, I've been prone to eating far too much these past two weeks and too much stuff that I know affects my stomach badly, and now my back is out again. Hmmmm...

Okay, I'm paying attention, I truly am.