In a world and time full of uncertainty, I hope for you to become curious if the yogic practice of saucha could be able to offer you a sense of stability, grounding, clarity, or even just the ability to more steadily navigate the uncertainty.
Saucha translates as purity and cleanliness. It is one of the niyamas, or observances, in the eight fold path of yoga. However, there is more to this then just eating purely, staying physically clean, and organizing your home and spaces. Those are important, yet there is more to Saucha as well. Saucha also includes a relational quality; one that asks of us to be purely in the moment, to be purely in the presence of another, and to be purely with things as they are and not as we wish them to be. To be purely with life as it is, and not as we wish it or expect it to be. And to be purely with our self; to not pick ourselves apart, judge, or set unfair expectations upon herself, and to truly be able to see our self purely. To be honest with our self about our thoughts and emotions. Of course, if you want to change things, go back to my blog on resilience, here, and/or head to your third chakra for courage in the looking, here, wink wink!
Cleanliness and purity, different, and yet interconnected. Don’t we tend to feel better when we are clean, have eaten a healthful meal, had enough water, a good nights sleep, and our desk is cleared, and the house clean?! And, when we have taken these actions, don’t we tend to act and speak and move more purely through our day? When we’ve “lightened” the load and heaviness of things upon us, and have created some space in our life and in our minds and hearts, and an orderliness in our life, don’t you often feel that you can take a deep breath, and maybe release a little? And in that release, do you tend to feel you have more availability within yourself to get back to your Self!?
The beautifully simple act of getting reconnected to Source within you is possible. And, its a practice.
What do you need to “clean out” of your inner self now? This is Saucha as well, to “work on our insides and change our very essence” so that all we do, say, and create is pure. -adapted from Deborah Adele. Perhaps it is just a conscious shift that needs to happen, you change your mind, you open up, and declare, “it doesn’t need to be ‘hard’, I can allow for all things to flow.” Or, maybe you need to journal, write it all down, and then look at it all, organize it, prioritize it; I do this with my lists to do, and I have been doing the same with some of my inner emotions/thoughts/ideas, and I am feeling it support me. Some things became more clear for me, and even though other things are still uncertain, I am feeling a stronger ability to accept the things I cannot change with more love.
“Perhaps the most difficult place to practice purity is within ourselves. … being pure with ourselves means we are not afraid of our thoughts or our feelings, and we do not have to hide anything from ourselves.”-Deborah Adele, “The Yamas&Niyamas”
In approaching uncertainties, can you be pure with yourself, unafraid to take a real look at your feelings and thoughts? In doing so, what shifts? Perhaps a decision becomes clear, or, if anything, you are at least honoring your Self and seeing all the things that are present, giving you the ability to “organize” and “come clean” with yourself, possibly seeing the Wholeness of your Self again, even with all the pieces you might still wish to get rid of! And from there, where would you wish to go?!
“Purity asks that we make full and honest contact with the moment so there is nothing lost and no regrets.”-Deborah Adele
**Above selfie taken in a pure moment of daily life with mother and daughter! Shawna Emerick, mom, and Quinnlyn Enriquez, daughter, 15 months old.
Breathe and Believe.