You, the Universe

“You are not IN the universe, you ARE the universe, an intrinsic part of it. Ultimately you are not a person, but a focal point where the universe is becoming conscious of itself. What an amazing miracle.”  ~Eckhart Tolle 

Each time we come to our yoga mat, we enter a sacred space.  Your mat is your space to remember and reunite with your breath, body, mind, and spirit.  In doing so, you reunite with the entire universe. Through our breath, we find energy, balance, purity, contentment, and discipline. All of which make up, in part, the five Niyamas of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.  The Niyamas, or active observances, are the second limb of Patanjali's "Eight Limbed Path," extending off of the first limb, the Yamas, or universal vows. The Eight Limbed Path teaches us how to live a moral, ethical, and purposeful life.   

When we step onto our mat, we use our breath to integrate ourselves into our practice. With each breath in, we bring our energy into our practice, and with each breath out, we release the world outside of that space. This distinction of energy between our mat and the rest of the world is related to the practice of Saucha, the first of the five Niyamas. Saucha is translated as purity, or cleanliness, but also relates to keeping different energies distinct. When we have clutter or negativity, we bring that into our atmosphere and restrict our path to peace, freedom, and happiness. By quieting the chaos, and cleaning up the clutter, both inside and out, we pave the way towards finding peace and contentment throughout each day.  Saucha also focuses on purifying and cleansing our mind, body, and spirit. It is thus both an external and internal practice. We can keep our physical selves, the spaces in which we live and work, and our inner selves clean and free from clutter. When we let go of things we don't need - belongings, past hurts, or old grudges - we make space for the things that truly matter. Each time we practice yoga, especially in a heated practice, we are physically, emotionally, and spiritually, releasing toxins from our bodies. Twisting poses, for example, literally wring out and cleanse our inner organs. The heat allows us to sweat out toxins, and the meditative breathing practiced on our mat allows us to clear out the clutter from within.

"The more you have, the more you are occupied.
The less you have, the more free you are."
~Mother Teresa

The second of the Niyamas, Samtosha, means contentment in all things. Happiness is not found by wanting to attain things but by wanting what we already have. Each day you awaken, your life is as it is. Each time you step to your mat, your practice that day is as it is. Finding contentment, samtosha, in each pose, and in turn in your life as it is, is your path to peace. We make up our minds to be as content as we are. Our happiness is our own choice. Even Abraham Lincoln agreed, "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."  The moment we free ourselves from desires and embrace what we already have, what we are, and what is, peace finds us.  In our yoga practice, we always return to our breath as our guide.  We use it to quiet the constant chatter of our mind, or the chitta vritti - the mind chatter that is often the source of our unhappiness, our worries, our concerns. When the chatter ceases, peace and contentment are achieved. There will always be distractions, annoyances, even disasters that come into our lives but we have a choice in how we react. Samtosha is about learning to weather those storms with calm and grounding. We may not always be happy, especially in the face of tragedy, but it is how we respond that brings us peace. In our practice, we encounter poses that challenge us or cause some discomfort. We practice Samtosha when we find serenity in those poses. We learn to be ok with how things are, on and off our mat.

"There is no end of craving. Hence contentment alone is the best way to happiness. Therefore, acquire contentment."
~Swami Sivananda

The practice of Tapas, the third Niyama, is another tool for quieting the chitta vritti, or internal chatter, as it teaches us to disengage with our egoic mind and rediscover our internal discipline.  Tapas, in Sanskrit, literally means heat or glow, but it is translated as discipline or austerity, or "the fiercely focused, constant, intense commitment necessary to burn off the impediments that keep us from being in the true state of yoga (union with the universe)" (Yoga Journal).  Tapas is your motivating, inner flame. By simply coming to your mat, you have already practiced tapas, as it takes self-discipline to come to your practice. Tapas is an intention; intention to overcome or accept whatever obstacles cross your path, and to do so with calm, strength, and serenity.  Your yoga practice provides you the opportunity to burn away the thought process and to welcome and embrace challenges as they come, knowing that each has been placed before you for your benefit.

“Living life with zeal and sincerity, the purifying flame is ignited (Tapas), revealing the inner light.” Sutra 2.43