Niyama: Saucha (purity)

What comes to mind when you think about purity? To me, it’s the color white. Like snow. Or crystal-clear, like pure, clean water. Or even the commercial about IVORY soap, being 99.9% pure.

This niyama speaks to every part of our being. Clean body, clean mind, clean spirit, clean motivations, clean environment….the list can go on. This one can be so challenging. If we work really hard to clean our homes and bodies, we often neglect our minds & spirits.

But it’s an on-going practice. We can keep our homes and other environments clean by taking a few minutes each day to straighten something or to clean a little while. We can help the greater environment by using green cleaning products and re-usable towels.

We can clean our bodies by using all-natural body products, by exercising to sweat out impurifications, and by eating a healthful, clean diet.

We can keep our minds clean by observing Brahmacharya, controlling what comes into the mind.

We can examine our motivations behind our thoughts and actions, to purify our hearts.

Today, make it a goal to be just a little cleaner, inside & out. Look for your purity.