Niyamas: Saucha (Purity)

Just a bit of a gap since the last Yama!  I was very blessed to discover I was pregnant after the last blog.  With three daughters to raise and professional milestones/tenure to attain, the blog slipped through my fingertips in the whirlwind of life.  After several pregnancy and infant-hazed months...and then, parenthood...with like...multiple children...I just let it go.  And that was okay.

That was a nice run, I thought.

But, there's some magic in the air.  I felt inspired to write again.  It is never too late to start again.   I am as passionate about Yoga, religion, and spirituality as ever and feel like delicious, juicy layers have been unfolding in these years of motherhood I never imagined possible a decade ago.

So, let's leap right in and pick up where we left off:  the Niyama of Purity.  This is one of the inner observances.  Beyond the obvious cleaning up your environment and your physical self - which, let's not underestimate the power of this - it's a focus of inner scrubbing.  Simplify.  Let go of that which you no longer need or which clutters up your life, physically or emotionally.  A key factor to this is becoming aware (practicing discernment) of what may be causing toxicity or negativity in your life.

This takes pause, reflection and a hard look. It's about getting back to the core of who you are.  It makes me think of Michaelangelo's philosophy when sculpting - that he was never creating an image, but just releasing the image from the block of stone, scraping away all that "was not the horse" or "was not David" to reveal...well, the horse or David.

Saucha is about revealing our inner David.  We do this by starting to scrape away that which covers up who we really are.  What a perfect goal as the semester ends and summer's warmth and expansion beckons.  As I finish up grading, closing up the books and ending an exceptionally fulfilling term, as professionally (and soulfully, in many cases) as they've been, I'm ready to let go of those specific aspects of obligation and focus now on the core of myself - as a mother, as a Yogi, as a seeker.  I'm interested in spiritual nourishment.  I'm ready to let go of that which doesn't make my soul sing or my heart full.  I'm ready for some Svadhyaya (self-study) and to be a fully present, hands free Mama to my girls.  I send a prayer up that it will be a glorious summer.

Next up:  Santosha (Contentment).

Namaste beautiful people!