4 minute read
Practice 1 Cleansing (Saucha)
Our first practice is saucha. Saucha is Sanskrit for “cleansing” and “purity,” and it is one of the five niyamas (the five sacred observances) on the Eight-Limbed Path of Yoga. We cleanse the body with hygiene, water, and healthy foods. We cleanse the mind from false beliefs and old stories. We cleanse our physical spaces, our habits, and our relationships. We observe the practice of saucha as a way to open space and to align with our true Self—our best Self. To practice saucha, we will focus on getting lighter physically and mentally. We will create space for our senses in order to release stuck energy, acknowledge old wounds, and begin new habits instead of repeating the less healthy behaviors that weigh us down.
Day 1
What does it mean to harmonize with your true Self? What does it mean to harmonize with life and the Universe?
In art, when a color aligns with another, it is called toning. The colors balance each other out and harmonize. They work together. They make one another more beautiful than if they stayed alone. Likewise, our body tones and aligns when we take care of it, when we strengthen certain muscles and pay attention to the food we eat.
Cleansing can look like eliminating food and drink that is bad for our bodies, drinking more water, using a neti pot, rinsing our face before bed, brushing our teeth, yoga, stillness, and breath.
Like our physical body, our soul tones and aligns when we rid the emotional Self of unnecessary heaviness such as worry, anxiety, resentment, or fear. Carrying the heaviness of the past or junk in the present leaves no room to breathe or see clearly.
Ask yourself, what needs cleansing in or around you at this moment? Is there physical clutter dragging you down or emotional weight you no longer need to carry? Are there habits you would like to let go? We will dive deeper into these questions as we observe and practice the ancient ritual of saucha.
Day 2
The practice of cleansing starts in the body. If you’ve ever eaten too much rich or unhealthy food, you know the sensation of wanting to cleanse. You might call this “dieting,” but the practice of saucha means so much more than trying to lose weight. Saucha includes eliminating food and drink that is bad for our bodies; eating cleansing foods, such as greens and vegetables; drinking more water; brushing our teeth; and other parts of a hygiene routine. It’s likely you already practice saucha without realizing it. In yoga, the purpose of a healthy, cleansed body is not about appearance. The purpose of cleansing is to rid ourselves of the physical and emotional heaviness that prevents us from seeing ourselves clearly. When we lift the weight, we open space to listen.
Ayurveda is considered a sister practice to yoga, and it is a way of healing the entire body, including how we eat, sleep, exercise, and rest. Related to saucha, ayurveda teaches that the body needs to be cleansed after every sleep. Physical gunk collected while we rested should be removed and cleared out before we begin our new day. Consider your normal waking routine, such as brushing your teeth, rinsing your face, or drinking a glass of water. Begin to see this time as sacred. Acknowledge that you are participating in the practice of saucha, the ancient yogic principle of cleansing, and this daily practice will seep into all other areas of your life.
Day 3
How we treat our body provides much insight into how we treat our Self. Being “clean” from a physical standpoint is the first step to purifying deeper, less obvious messes. By practicing a waking ritual of saucha, we acknowledge our body as sacred and set the tone for our day. In addition to cleaning the body, we are also signaling to the emotional Self that yesterday has ended, and today is a new day. We remove the gunk from the past and begin again. Beyond what you already do, here are some cleansing tips upon waking:
• First thing, drink a glass of warm water
• Brush your teeth and scrape your tongue
• Rinse your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Use a neti pot
• Practice some breath or gentle yoga
• Practice silence—try not speaking, turning on the TV, or looking at your phone first thing in the morning
• Set aside time to be still, meditate, or journal
Like all new beginnings, ease gently in. Create space before charging ahead with work and the to-do list. Adding these new cleansing rituals to the start of your day should help lighten feelings of being overwhelmed, busyness, and even fear about what the day will bring.
Day 4
Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
Stand with your feet hip-distance apart or even a little wider. Be comfortable with effort in the legs but with soft knees. Ground yourself through the feet and breathe. Tadasana is a standing posture that allows us to tune in while feeling strong and supported. Position your pelvis in a spot that feels neutral, without your low back swaying in or out. Stand with a straight spine and lengthen through the crown of your head. Release your shoulders back and down and open your arms to the sides.
Close your eyes and breathe. Notice the breath as if you are noticing it for the first time. Maybe you haven’t paid attention to how the breath moves and feels. This is a practice in observing; there is no technique and nothing to control or do. Examine the breath exactly as it is on this day. Observe the inhale through your nose and then the exhale that arrives after. Notice where the breath travels after it enters the nose—belly, ribs, and upper chest. Notice the rising and falling of your heart space. After some breaths, bring your attention to your feet. Notice the soles of your feet on the earth. Feel the surface beneath them. Observe if you are rocking slightly, shifting weight from one area of the feet to another.
Mountain pose cultivates the inner witness; we observe our body exactly as it is in this posture. Possibly, we can then practice being this nonjudgmental witness in other areas of our life. By giving the body stillness and our acknowledgment, we offer ourselves space before running into the day.