In yoga, self-reflection isn’t just mental introspection — it is Swadhyaya, one of the core Niyamas in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. It means “self-study” — not only of your thoughts, but of your entire being — your tendencies, your triggers, your truth and your illusions.
Why Self-Reflection Matters
Self-reflection helps you:
- Awaken awareness: You begin to see your patterns, not just repeat them.
- Break unconscious cycles: You stop reacting from habit and start responding with presence.
- Align with dharma(value): You make choices that reflect your soul’s truth, not societal conditioning.
- Transform suffering into wisdom: Every experience, especially pain, becomes a teacher.
The goal of yoga is not perfection. It is liberation. And liberation begins with knowing thyself — fully, honestly and lovingly. Self-reflection is the bridge between awareness and transformation. It turns experience into evolution, pain into purpose and confusion into clarity.
