Cleansing Through Heat
Have you ever seen a field or forest that has been burned? When done intentionally, this can burn off the dead vegetation, help control insects, and kill off invasive plants. You may not realize this, but we can do something similar with our bodies by creating internal heat. This is where two niyamas come into play, Saucha and Tapas.
Saucha, or cleanliness and purification is really about lightening the load of our life. This can mean physically, but also mentally and emotionally. Cleanliness is usually what we think of in terms of our outer appearance. We wash our bodies and wear clean clothes. Purification is more of a process that happens inwardly and has more to do with what we put in our bodies. Eating healthy foods, movement, and focusing on the effects of our thoughts are just a few ways to purify our bodies.
Tapas, or self-discipline, is oftentimes translated to mean heat. We create “heat” through discipline that ultimately creates change in our lives. This niyama invites us to look deeper at how we respond in times of crisis and how our routines and habits affect our lives. If we have habits that support us as a whole person, then in times of crisis and desperation, we can lean more heavily on them. If our habits do not support us, then we can more easily be taken off course when things go wrong.
Just like a controlled burn on a field, we can create this cleansing effect with tapas through both heat and self-discipline. This does not mean that you have to do “hot yoga” unless of course that is something that works for you. However, having a daily practice, or sadhana is one way to do this. A sadhana is showing up for yourself and the person you are becoming. It is allowing the practice to offer a cleansing of your life, or as Adele writes, “putting ourselves in places where the old debris that has been collected in us can be removed.”
What does this daily practice look like? Well the beauty is that you get to decide. There are two things that I do each day, a physical yoga asana practice and creating art in my journal. From day to day these things may look different. Some days it’s an hour long practice and intricate art. Other days it’s a few Sun Salutations and messy writing before bed. The point is giving myself a place to rest in those practices on a daily basis. The “heat” comes from showing up even on the days that I don’t want to. It creates a clean slate for me by clearing my mind and body of old debris.
Here is a creative prompt to get you thinking about what needs a cleansing fire in your life:
1) With a sheet of paper in any color you chose, cut out a few shapes to resemble flames.
2) Close your eyes and bring your hands to your belly. Take three deep slow breaths through the nose. Allow your body to relax. While breathing, notice the different thoughts that come up and your reactions to them.
3) On your “flames”, write or draw the things that need burning away from your life. These things can be small or more significant. It could be related to the thoughts you had during breathing or not. You can take an abstract approach to these or be more literal. Whatever comes to mind, just go with it.
4) Assemble your flames into a fire. Feel free to add logs or other items to your picture.
5) On the outside of the fire, write or draw the things that you are keeping safe from the fire.
6) When you’re done, look at your drawing and use these questions to reflect on it:
-Are you surprised by anything you kept safe from the fire?
-Are you surprised by anything you put in the fire?
-How can you create a daily practice from something outside of the fire to help you burn away those things in the fire?
If you’re wanting a breathing technique that can create more internal fire, check out this short video about Breath of Fire. This can be intense for some people, so practice intentionally.
Here are some statements from Embrace Yoga’s Roots about each niyama. These can be used for affirmations or maybe written down to refer to later.
Saucha: I know my environment and what I consume reflects in my consciousness and I live accordingly.
Tapas: I use the fire within to change myself for the better.