The second limb of the eight faceted path of yoga consists of the five Niyamas which are reflections that take us more toward internal observances, an interior resting place. The first of these Niyamas is called Saucha and is often translated as cleanliness, purity or simplicity. It’s about cleaning up our act on all levels of our being.
We live in a time where we are exposed to, and live in, a toxic environment. Think about the chemicals that we come across each day—household cleaners, skin and self care products, additives, preservatives, noise, water and air pollution. And that’s just our physical exposure. Yet the toxic relationships we are involved with can pack a stronger, although sometimes more subtle punch. Then there’s the toxic self-imposed negative self-talk and inner critic that likes to hang around and offer their (delusional) input and comments.
If we live in ignorance of what is toxic in our lives it starts to slowly take hold of us, like a slow growing mold. We often can’t even detect it until it has altered some part of us, perhaps reflected in a physical symptom (ulcer, migraine, back ache, skin rash) or on an emotional level where we find ourselves angry or easily agitated, as though we are in a constant state of grumbling about the world and all of its evils. Our own personal web of toxicity might also be contagious, feeding into the pool of other people’s negativity which seems to only encourage the growth of this damaging state of being. An example of this is gossiping-the act of latching onto the woes in our and other people’s lives, perpetuating and possibly embellishing the story. If you’ve ever known someone who loves to gossip, it’s as though they are on the hunt for the scoop, to find a juicy nugget to share with someone else regardless of whether or not it’s their story to tell.
Saucha is where we interrupt the cycle and begin damage control. We raise our own level of consciousness about our own footprint of what we are sending out into the world. We begin to take action from a place of purer intention. It’s as though we awaken to what we eat, say, act and do to having an effect on ourselves and all of the energy around us. We do this by raising our awareness of the foods we choose, selecting foods closest to its clean source (organic) and by choosing self-care products that aren’t laden with chemicals.
Our yoga practice is a way to clear and cleanse our energy. The simple act of conscious breathing is like clearing our own dusty screen, intentionally letting go of what no longer serves us. Our bodies have natural in-built cleansers through elimination of body excrement, sweat, exhaling CO2 and menstruation. By physically moving our body, staying well-hydrated and looking after our gut health we bring our natural processes of elimination into better balance. In the tradition of Ayurveda (the sister science to yoga) undertaking Panchakarma is a method of cleansing and cleaning the body through such modalities as breathwork, nasal irrigation (neti pot) and body work. We can enhance our own purification by living simply, reducing drama in our lives, creating supportive rituals and finding quiet space each and every day.
We can all do just a little something to bring ourselves into a calmer balance and better health. And it can begin by noticing what seems to be stopping the flow of your natural energy. A beautiful saying in yoga is, “prana flows where attention goes”. Now is the perfect time to give yourself a good spring cleaning by seeing of what you can let go. You will likely feel a bit unburdened through the process!
