Week 5: Svadhyaya/Self Study AND Ishvara Pranidhana/Surrender

This week is all about finding:⁠
🌞your balance⁠
🌞your feet on the ground⁠
🌞being aware of how you live your best life⁠
🌞what makes you feel like you and brings you the most joy.⁠

Don't Rush the Process! ⁠
We cannot skip the work and expect results. Maybe you are seeing small steps and gains in your practice, journaling or even meditation?⁠
Be True to Yourself!⁠

Everyday this week the intention is for you to:
-MEDITATE for 5 minutes
-PRACTICE at least 20 minutes of yoga/movement
-JOURNAL every day about what you are experiencing and discovering. ​

Download your workbook/journaling questions here:

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9: Svadhyaya: Self-Study

Self-study is the intentional seeking to know who you are. 

Practices for self-study: 
● Notice your conditioning 
● Notice your projections 
● “Trace it back” 
● Understand the role of the ego 
● Develop your “witness” 
● Read sacred texts of any tradition ​

​Svadhyaya, the practice of self-study, is the intentional journey of uncovering who we truly are beyond our conditioning, habits, and unconscious patterns. The ego, shaped by past experiences and societal influences, creates an identity that often operates on autopilot, reacting rather than reflecting. But the higher self invites us to pause, to observe, and to question: Why do I think this way? Where does this belief come from? What parts of me are shaped by fear, and what parts are grounded in truth? Through self-inquiry, we develop the ability to witness our own thoughts and behaviors without judgment, tracing them back to their roots so we can choose with awareness rather than be led by old programming.​

Practicing svadhyaya means becoming curious about the self—studying our projections, recognizing the role of the ego, and deepening our understanding of the patterns that influence our actions. It is not about self-criticism but self-awareness, an ongoing exploration of what is real versus what has been learned. Reading sacred texts from any tradition can provide wisdom and perspective, helping us see ourselves more clearly. When we cultivate the “witness,” the part of us that observes without attachment, we gain the freedom to shift, grow, and align with our highest self. True self-study is not just about knowing ourselves—it is about remembering who we were before the world told us who to be. What is one belief or habit you can trace back today to better understand yourself?

10: Ishvara Pranidhana: Surrender

Surrender is actively putting ourselves at the feet of something greater than we are. 

Practices for surrender: 
● Participate in selfless service 
● Give up trying to control, manipulate, and fight with life 
● Find your faith and trust 
● Pay attention to what life is teaching/telling you 
● Get in touch with the feeling of expansion 
● Be vulnerable, undefended, and available 
● Care deeply about something other than yourself ​

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​Ishvara Pranidhana, the practice of surrender, is the profound act of releasing control and placing our trust in something greater than ourselves. The ego, driven by the need to manipulate outcomes and protect its sense of identity, resists surrender, fearing that letting go means losing power. But the higher self understands that true strength lies not in grasping, but in opening—allowing life to unfold with trust rather than resistance. ​

​Surrender is not about passivity or giving up; it is an active participation in the flow of life, a willingness to listen, to be guided, and to relinquish the illusion of control. When we stop fighting against what is, we make space for grace, expansion, and deeper alignment with our purpose.​

​Practicing surrender means engaging in life with faith and openness, choosing selfless service, and caring deeply about something beyond ourselves. It is about softening our defenses, being vulnerable enough to receive, and paying attention to what life is teaching us in every moment. When we surrender, we shift from a place of struggle to one of trust, from grasping to allowing. This is where true expansion happens—where we step beyond the limits of the ego and into a life that is guided, not forced. As we learn to surrender, we find that in letting go, we are actually held. What is one area of your life where you can release control and trust more deeply today?

Week 1: Ahimsa/Non Violence | Satya/Truthfulness
Week 2: Asteya/Non Stealing | Bramahcharya/Non Excess
Week 3: Aparigraha/Non Possessiveness | Saucha/Purity
Week 4: Santosha/Contentment | Tapas/Self Discipline
Week 5: Svadhyaya/Self Study | Ishvara Pranidhana/Surrender
Week 6: Review of All!

BONUS Meditations