Saucha

“Take refuge in your senses, open up to all the small miracles you rushed through.”

John O’Donohue

Last month we explored the yamas, the first limb of Patanjali’s Eight Limbed Path. This month we move to the second limb, the niyamas, which in Sanskrit translates to “observances”. Whereas the yamas provide guidelines for how we might improve our relationships with others, the niyamas offer ways in which we can live in greater harmony with ourselves. Just as the yamas are not a list of “do’s and don’ts”, the niyamas do not suggest that one way of living is better or worse than another. Rather, these observances are a way of being with ourselves and are best approached as practices that lead to increased vitality and clarity so that we can live more joyfully.

Although they are considered a separate limb of yoga, the niyamas flow smoothly from the yamas. There are 5 niyamas; saucha (purity), santosha (contentment), tapas (self-discipline), svadhyaya (self-study), Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender). The first niyama of saucha flows naturally from the final yama, aparigraha, or nonpossessiveness. As we explored last week, aparigraha encourages us to let go of what no longer serves us. It is a call to lighten our load, to unclench our grip, and to travel lightly. Saucha picks up aparigraha’s thread by advising us to cleanse our bodies, thoughts, and speech of experiences that weigh us down and make us sluggish, some of which can, over time, become toxic. Saucha encourages us to create daily routines that help us to live lightly while supporting cleanliness in our bodies as well as purity of the mind.

At its most basic level, saucha encourages us to “clean up our act” so that we are free to experience life as it unfolds in the moment. Cleansing processes don’t have to be complicated or cumbersome to be effective. In fact, saucha encourages us to develop habits that are inherently simple. Cleansing might take the form of eating fresh foods for one person or increasing daily exercise for another. Some people might choose to fast for a day, others may clean out closets once every three months. The invitation of this niyama is to reduce the loads we carry; saucha invites us to choose our routines wisely so as not be weighed down with elaborate or rigid daily practices.

From the standpoint of saucha, purity and cleanliness start when we identify our needs. What are your most basic requirements for living with vitality and joy? Saucha is a call to identify those sensory experiences that resonate while discarding those that create a burden. This seems straightforward, but meeting needs is trickier than we realize. Needs are visceral, tied to our emotions and feelings. To identify them, we must tune into our body intelligence, which requires that we stay grounded and develop a higher level of conscious living. We start by tapping into our sensory experiences, pausing throughout the day to become more mindful of what is happening in the moment. For example, while eating, notice how your food choices impact your mood. Pause to see how what you are reading or watching—streaming programs, news feeds, Instagram, newspapers, books—hold onto your attention and affect your energy. Even your environment can generate emotions. How do you organize your personal space? Is it relaxing or does it create tension? Notice which experiences create an upward spiral of energy and positive emotions, and which drag you down into negative thinking and sour your mood.

Identifying needs calls for us to be skilled at tuning into our sensory experiences. Keep in mind that the body rarely lies. If we pay attention, the body is a wealth of information about whether we are meeting our basic requirements for living. Most animal species are highly attuned to their body signals, so they act in ways that meet their needs. But we humans have brains with an overpowering propensity to think. We are wired to generate an endless stream of thoughts, judgments, and analysis, all of which create an endless chatter that drowns out our body signals. Only by quieting the mind are we able to notice deeply embedded emotions that signal our most basic needs. By tapping into this visceral feedback, we can more accurately identify what we need to thrive. It is only through this heightened awareness that we can make choices that will help us to live more joyfully.

Over the past decade, research into the benefits of yoga has shown that a regular practice helps to develop body intelligence and deeper self-attunement. Unlike other forms of physical activity such as walking or running, yoga promotes mindfulness and a heightened awareness of where our body is in space. It is designed to help us tap into our body’s wisdom and quiet our thoughts by shifting our focus to breathing patterns and body sensations. We’ve all had that experience in a yoga practice when you suddenly become aware of your body while holding a pose. Perhaps you feel a release when your hip opens in a low lunge, strength in the core while holding plank, or steadiness in Tree pose. These may seem like inconsequential, fleeting experiences, but collectively they open a path of communication between the body and the mind that enhances our sensory awareness.

A yoga practice centered on saucha encourages simplicity. Many of the current Vinyasa style yoga practices move quickly, requiring participants to follow complicated choreography. Although these practices may offer a fun and energetic workout, they tend to overstimulate, taking our attention away from the body’s subtle cues. Tonight, we will take a more intentional approach by staying grounded with a flow that features what are referred to as “essential” yoga poses. These are poses that form the foundation for the endless variations we encounter in a practice. Importantly, they are simple and straightforward, offering an opportunity for us to stay grounded and tune into our bodies.

Keep in mind that simple does not mean easy. The work of saucha is to stay present, to notice, and to accept all your experiences openly, without judgment. When we are overwhelmed with our thoughts, constantly thinking, planning, and analyzing, we may seek intense physical stimulation as a way to clear the mind. As a result, simple poses may make us feel edgy or irritated. Or perhaps you feel a sense of relief with a slower, more basic practice, welcoming the opportunity to relax and shut down your racing thoughts. Saucha asks you to stay with all the emotions that pop up in a practice. Come to your mat with an open heart and a commitment to trust the wisdom of your body. Let your sensations guide you to develop habits that will ease the loads you carry and generate a sense of lightness and vitality. Perhaps you’d like to experiment this month by asking yourself, “How much joy can I create in my life?”. Start experimenting tonight and see what happens!