The importance of ‘Saucha’- Purity

And HOW to cultivate it in our everyday life

‘Saucha’- Purity

A clean-body and a clear heart-mind

To purify ourselves from the heaviness and clutter of toxins, distractions, and scattered-ness, in order to gain clarity to meet each moment with clarity and integrity.

Whatever form of purifying you choose to take, have the intention to “lighten the ‘load’ that weighs down your body, mind and spirit.

Physical cleansing (more than just outer appearances):

Your body:

• Daily movement and exercise

To remove toxins from the body through sweat and the melting of excess fat

• A healthy diet

To allow our body systems to function optimally

Your surroundings:

• Your home and workspace

To allow our creative process to flow smoothly and reduce anxiety

Your speech:

• Words of positivity and honesty

To speak with a heart filled with love and gratitude

Constant clutter on the outside can indicate continuous chatter on the inside.

Mental cleansing (the ‘load’ of victimhood and resentment):

Be aware that it’s not the attempt to make something pure, rather it’s being pure with something.

Through confession:

• Expressing deep emotions and feelings
• Mourning
• Apologizing

Through forgiveness:

• Of others

Meet each person with a clean slate, not remembering any secrets they may have shared with you.

• Of ourselves

For past error in judgement and selfishness.

In any way we hold on to past wounds, we injure ourselves and keep ourselves from the ability to be pure with what is current in our lives.

Through acceptance of what is:

• To be with life, with others, with things, with the day, with work, with the weather, as they are in the moment, not as as we wish they were or think they should be or expect them to be.

To adopt a beginner’s mindset and a childlike curiosity, in order to see things in new and wondrous ways.

• To leave yourself alone.

Stop constantly thinking of ways you need to ‘fix’ yourself, or that you need to always have a solid plan in life. Instead of striving to achieve the expectations and illusions you’ve set for yourself, embrace the beauty of your current being.

To be with all the pieces of ourselves

When we can become safe with ourselves, we become a safe place for others. We become a person who can comfortably and compassionately sit with another without the need to fix them.

Through slowing down:

• When we practice slowing down and giving each thing our undivided attention, we will find ourselves more integrated and more pure with the moment; and hence there is no lost of amazing moments and no regrets.

Takeaways:

• Essentially, ‘Saucha’ invites us to purify our bodies, our thoughts and our words.
• As we purify ourselves physically and mentally, we become less cluttered and heavy; purification brings about a brightness and clarity to our essence.
• We begin to feel lighter, more spacious, and expansive. Our bodies become more alive, our minds become more clear and our hearts more compassionate.

Questions to reflect upon:

1. Give examples of times when poor hygiene or disorganization affected your life in a negative way? And perhaps of times when you did some deep cleaning of a physical space, how did you feel, during and after?
2. Of all the different forms of purity mentioned above, which do you struggle the most with and why?How can you reframe the way you think?
3. What is something you can challenge yourself to do today, to enhance your practice of purity?

Thanks for reading and hope it was helpful!

Related post: The importance of ‘Ahimsa’- Nonviolence and Compassion, ‘Satya’- Truthfulness; ‘Asteya’- Nonstealing; ‘Brahmacharya’- Non-excess; ‘Aparigraha’- Non-possessiveness

Also,

Check me out on Instagram: @thesunyogii and come join me for a free yoga session + discussion at the park (sorry, only in Kuala Lumpur for now! Message me for more details.)