Saucha Yoga

Saucha means "physical and mental purification".

Hatha Yoga is more than getting in great shape, its also a way to maintain and/or restore health, to de-stress and de-toxify.

"When your body is cleansed, your mind purified and your senses are controlled, you experience the joyful awareness that enables you to realise your inner self."
-Patanjali, Raja Yoga Sutra 2.41

Ask your Yoga teacher about "saucha". If they dont know what it means, find another teacher, because you have been taking a stretch class, not a Yoga class.

Saucha is purification, as seen in physical cleanliness, a clean home, healthy food, pure water, and a mindfulness practice - like Yoga.

Saucha also means mental clarity and calm speaking, or refraining angry and de-basing thoughts, and emotionally charged rants.

Saucha is part of Yoga, for without it, you will never fully experience the inner calm and fullness that is Hatha Yoga.

Yoga asanas done with conscious and relaxed breathing will cleanse the body and mind, calm the emotions, clear your karma, lift your self-esteem, and improve your self-awareness. Combined, these create a reverence for life and a sense of sacredness to all you do.

Saucha is one of the ten precepts that Mahama Gandhi worked diligently on.

When we bring Saucha into our Yoga practice, it reflects in our daily life as transparency, so that all who see you will see the grace and gratitude shining within you.

Here are some suggestions for bringing Saucha into your life:
-Learn a Yoga Kriya, or "cleansing exercise", such as neti. To this on a regular basis.

-Resolve to clean your house everyday. If anything, to remove the clutter.

-Go through your home and find things you no longer need or use. Collect them in a canvas bag and at the end of the month, donate them to charity.

-Once a week, have a Meatless Monday.

-Practice truthfullness by saying what you mean. When we intend to speak truthfully we are more likely to stop before speaking - thinking carefully about what we will say and how we will say it.

-Meditate daily.

-Keep a journal. Jot down your thoughts, or something you overheard, or a passage from a book and why you liked it.

-Ask yourself, "Do I think my body is the temple of the soul? If so, what should I do to really treat it like a temple?"

Om Peace!