Saucha's the first of the niyamas, the active observances. It involves keeping things clean, inside and out. "For me, [the concept of] saucha means both physical and mental hygiene," says Cope. "You want to keep your thoughts uncluttered so you can feel free from afflictive emotions; you keep your body and environment in order, to create a sense of calm." A mind trained by meditation has more complexity and orderliness. Physical orderliness can also affect the mind. So get rid of clutter, scrub floors, simplify your life—all these are expressions of saucha.
But don't get too hung up on the idea of literal purity. "When you work at purifying the body, you begin to understand that it will never be perfectly clean," Kraftsow says. "Patanjali says, look more deeply at what the body is: The more you clean it, the more you realize that it is an impermanent, decaying thing. Saucha helps break up excessive fixation with your body, or the bodies of others."
When you learn to dis identify with the body, the Yoga Sutra suggests, you can get in touch with your essence—the part of you that's pure and free from aging, disease, and decay. When you understand your true undying nature, it's easier to stop striving for physical perfection and instead rest in joyful awareness.
Source: yoga journal
My mind keeps returning to this passage I read recently, endeavoring to find the wisdom of understanding impermanence. Keeping perspective on the constantly piles of laundry, the persistent dust bunnies that gather under the bed, washing of dishes, pulling of weeds... knowing all these cycles of decay only foster space for further creation. I feel such an incredible sense of peace when the dressers are clear and clean, the floor is crisp and smooth under my bare feet, yet sometimes the path to that moment seems too long, or too much.
I think this niyama is at the forefront of my mind for other purposes as well, I am always studying alternative heath options, seasonal, local eating with the influence of Ayurveda. I battle with the natural desires of the mind for the foods we habitually crave and reward ourselves with. Tortilla chips and cheese is one of my weakest links! Both items are very tamasic (heavy, dull, inert), but I love homemade tahini with pretty much any vegetable you throw at me, so I make an effort to have fresh snacks ready when cravings hit. Sattvic body, sattvic mind.
Sattva : Essence (subtle)
Rajas : Activity
Tamas : Inertia (gross)
One of my homework assignments this month for my yoga teacher training is a daily practice of Tradak. Through Tratak, you increase your ability to hold your mind on one thing, concentrated, as long as possible. This not only builds up concentration but also willpower and the ability to use your energy and yourself economically. (But this should be done in an easy, relaxed way.)
Tratak is both a meditation, and a cleansing practice. Saucha for the eyes, relieving stress and providing therapeutic exercise.
I enjoy washing my tear ducts without the precursor of wild emotion. I am no stranger to tears, but they usually come at the cost of my emotional balance. I appreciate the sense of relief a good cry can bring, so I was very interested in the practice of watering the eyes through a discipline. Yes, it hurts at first, but as the practice deepens, the sensations evolve.
