How Cleanliness Helps You Get Real with Yourself for a More Positive Life
This is the sixth of ten posts teaching the first two limbs of yoga— the yamas and the niyamas— in a manner that relates to contemporary living with real-world anxieties. A key component to a life of integrity is framing it with the yamas and the niyamas as you come to know how you relate with others and love yourself. I will teach these guidelines one at a time with the hopes you, the reader, take the time and care to implement these principles into your daily life. Notice your thoughts, words, and actions and if they are in alignment with the teachings I give.
We are now diving into the niyamas, or the guidelines for creating and nurturing ourselves. Sanskrit scholar Nicholai Bachman translates niyama as “internal control or restraint.” Through a series of disciplined practices, we distill any unnecessary actions that dampen our inner light and prevent us from honoring our true selves. This is the time to take care of ourselves on a deep and spiritual level.
The first niyama is Cleanliness, or Purity (Shaucha). This personal practice helps us maintain a clean body and clear heart-mind. We clear ourselves of toxins emotionally, mentally, and physically to better receive others. We practice good hygiene; we eat in a way that’s clean and organically energizing to purify the body; and we move in ways that keep the channels open. Notice the correlation between clearing your body and how it affects the clarity of your mind.
Chances are, once you eat more cleanly and detoxify your body, you will be more balanced in your emotions, and your thoughts will be kinder and more balanced as well. Deborah Adele teaches in her book Yamas and Niyamas, “Cleansing strengthens the body and insulates the mind, preparing us for the awakening of energy within us. Cleansing prepares us for the greatness of our spirit.”
Start by drinking more water, eating more vegetables (the greener and leafier, the better), and adding more walks to your daily routine. See what comes up. Consciously speak in kind ways. Give thanks often and notice the change in your heart. Sometimes you might “come clean” by admitting a fault and releasing a deeply held emotion. How can you peel back the layers of cleanliness to reveal a balanced and clear self?
The practice of cleanliness also relates to the places we inhabit. We work toward uncluttering our surroundings so we can focus our energies inward to an uncluttered heart. Notice how clutter and massive piles of objects weigh down your spirit. How would it feel to release that clutter and free up your inner space and surroundings? What could you accomplish in your daily life if you have room to move, breathe, and live fully in your surroundings?
Sometimes a cluttered home mirrors a cluttered heart-mind.
Does this ring true for you? Describe how your sense of self is reflected in your home and surroundings. Start with the outer environment and notice ho it affects you inwardly when you organize and clean your spaces. Or get real on what things you actually need. Even better, could you create a vision for how you want your surroundings to reflect you and your core values?
As you look at the amount of “stuff” in your home, question what you truly need. The more you release, the clearer you will find positive energy moving into your home. I’m not merely talking about keeping a clean house but creating a home that reflects the purity you create in your body, mind, and spirit.
Practicing cleanliness means we get real and present with what is happening in ourselves and around us. We receive those happenings with pure thoughts, words, and actions. The more we move through life as an act of mindfulness free from judgment, the more we release violence from our heart-mind and find purity within. This is what cleans our spirit and helps us shine forth honestly and authentically.