Many years ago I started choosing a word to reflect on and work with for the coming year. I would begin thinking about it in December, sometimes using the free resources provided by Susannah Conway, sometimes working through it on my own or selecting randomly via Angel Cards I found through following the Findhorn Foundation.

Then 2021 came along and I asked members of my community to suggest a name for my illustrated yoga lady. Śraddhā was one of the names suggested and the one I chose, not knowing then how much thought I would be giving it or that I would continue working with it for some time.

The meaning shared then was, “anything done with absolute and sincere faith and devotion”. I cannot recall where I read Swami Vivekananda’s words but he has said that śraddhā is, "the most vital and essential quality needed to succeed in life". Sri Aurobindu has described śraddhā as, “the soul's belief in the Divine's existence, wisdom, power, love and grace”.

Śraddhā is usually translated as “faith” but, as with most words from other languages, there is so much more meaning and depth, so much thought and study. There is a whole chapter in the Bhagavad Gita on śraddhā and perhaps this one word will be the focus of my personal study for many years to come.

An exploration of faith is where I started in 2021. I remembered my Bible verse, Matthew 17:20, “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you”. It is one I have remembered from childhood when I first discovered just how small a mustard seed is. It is a verse my Guru reminds us of in his discourses. It is why I think about faith when I am cooking.

As I begin counting down the days to my fortieth (40th) birthday there is no guarantee that I will get there… But there is faith, there is śraddhā, that foundational pillar of my yoga practice, of what I teach and share and live.

I invite you to join me on this journey of counting and contemplating. Each day I will be sharing some thoughts through blog posts but there will also be days where I unveil parts of my website and events that are upcoming.

I hope that we learn and grow together!

peace,

Renee Arundhati