Poised for Possibility: Off the Mat Svadhyaya – Self study

Meredith Paterson, Jennifer Buergermeister, and I celebrate
the Second Instructor Training at CuraYoga last June.
We will have another one in June 2012.

by Elizabeth Reese, Ph.D.


Last Friday I had the pleasure of dining with my dear friend and colleague, Jennifer Buergermeister, in Houston. We have shared a pot of tea, a morning cup of Joe, but never a dinner. Like any good gathering over savory foods, we savored sharing our memories and experiences and, in turn, grew in both our professional and personal relationships. 


With a photo-shoot with a dozen OHMazing™ Yogiños on Monday,  Meredith came to Corpus Christi to direct the event (many thanks!). Mere is consuming very

Meredith assist Yogiña Molly in
Estrella/Triangle/Trikonasana.

selective and specific foods right now. While the rationale is hers to share, I can share my observations of a friend and colleague who is illuminating her path with self-love and exploration. 

Listening to her challenges and the grace with which she navigates what, when, and where to eat, I ultimately see a person who is cultivating and practicing yoga with every bite. Literally, through careful selection of foods and beverages, Meredith is practicing one of the limbs of yoga, Niyama or personal observances, and one of its elements, Svadhyaya.

Sva means "self'" and adhyaya means "inquiry" or "examination". Any activity that promotes self-reflective awareness can be considered svadhyaya.  When we intentionally cultivate careful reflection and responses in our activities, we also can learn to embrace our limitations.

With years of experience with these kids (lol), Jeaneen
carefully orchestrates culinary techniques like
carefully slicing scallions and tearing spnach.

In my house tonight, I find myself struggling between wanting quiet at dinner time with watching my kids find joy in preparing a meal with our dear friend, Jeaneen. Of course the fact is, the idea alone that the Texas Rangers are in the World Series automatically increases the volume... thank goodness!


"These are asparagus. They can bend and also break, just like us. Let's wash them carefully," advised Jeaneen.

"This is cheese. Let's slice it mindfully like when we make decisions about whether to do this, or that. Stay with these friends, or go with that group." 

As the evening goes on, my kids (ummmm and I?) abandon bedtime bewitching hours in favor of assisting Jeaneen and learning about food sources and how they make us more aware of ourselves—or more adept at engaging with Svadhyaya. Accordingly, I become more likely to remember and respond to what a dear friend and mom once advised me, "there's more to education than school."

Whether over spring rolls and corn polenta cakes, buckwheat cereal or Corpus Christi couscous, we can choose to mindfully reflect and respond to what we consume and share in more ways than one.

 The name for this dish is still debatable but I like
Corpus Christi Couscous!

Elizabeth Reese, Ph.D., RYT, RCYT, is the founder and executive director of Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®. She is a teacher with over 20 years of experiences leading learners of all ages in creative problem solving, self-reflection and empowerment. Her teaching credentials also include windsurfing and skiing. 

A yoga practitioner for over 10 years, Beth completed an Anusara Immersion and teacher training with Christina Sell in 2009 and currently is working toward Anusara Inspired Certification. Beth is RYT-200 and a Registered Children's Yoga Teacher (RCYT). Beth is the mother of three OHMazing yogis under the age of 12... and we all LOVE Corpus Christi Couscous!