How to practice saucha (cleanliness) this week
Saucha means cleanliness or orderliness. I like to imagine that Patanjali found this niyama necessary to include in the Yoga Sutras because of all the dirty hippie meditators so deep on the spiritual path that they forgot to bathe—thanks for the subtle reminder, Pat!
Sutra 2.40 says:
“When cleanliness is developed, it reveals what needs to be constantly maintained and what is eternally clean. What decays is the external. What does not is deep within us.”
This cleanliness applies to the organization of our minds as well as our external world. Often in times of depression or anxiety, we neglect the cleanliness of ourselves and our homes: our outer world becomes a reflection of our inner world.
The opposite also works: when we keep our external world neat and clean, we find that our minds become more clear and harmonious as well.
Have you seen this graduation speech about the importance of making your bed in the morning? Such a simple act can mean so much!
This week, to practice saucha, just take one small step: make your bed every morning, first thing when you wake up. And just see how it sets off a chain of positive events in your life.
If you like learning about yoga philosophy and want to become a yoga teacher, join me for a 200hr yoga teacher training in Bali in 2020!