The Niyamas: A Deeper Look At Tapas
*Before we begin I highly recommend you grab your journal and pen*
Tapah or tapas (tah-pahs) means austerity or discipline. It comes from the root word 'tap' which means to burn, to shine, to give out heat. This can be taken to mean burning away any impurities ~ physically, mentally and emotionally ~ to give way to our higher selves. It also means being disciplined and hard-working towards this endeavour. Now, this doesn't have to be super serious! We can look at it as being enthusiastic and having a fiery passion towards our personal growth and goals.
We can do this by showing up for ourselves each day - even when we don't feel like it. This is something that we all struggle with. I have noticed that I have a tendency to dress up procrastination as self-care ~ telling myself I need to rest and that should be my priority when in reality I am putting off doing the thing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge advocate of rest but I have had to learn to differentiate between rest and procrastination (and perhaps you need to do something similar).
To overcome this I have gotten super clear on my ‘why’. Why do I do the things I do? What is the benefit? What is the aim? What is the intention? I am constantly asking myself these questions in relation to all of my personal wellness practices and rituals and find that it helps me to remain focused and disciplined, especially on those days where I just don’t feel like it. And of course, there are days when I don’t do them - I am only human! Take some time to consider:
Why are you on this journey of personal growth? What is your 'why'?
Why do you do certain rituals and practices?
What are your values?
What are your goals?
When you complete your rituals that connect you to yourself (e.g. meditation or asana practice) how does it make you feel? How does the day unfold compared to when you don't do them?
That last question is something that also motivates me to be disciplined in my yoga practice. On the days I do some form of yoga, whether that be pranayama, meditation, asana practice, mantra chanting or something else, the day almost always unfolds effortlessly and in flow compared to when I don’t. So I try to focus on that feeling when I don't feel like being self-disciplined.
With love and gratitude,
Jyoti x
(pronounced Jyoh-thee)
Article written for Ekotex Yoga. Visit www.ekotexyoga.com to see more and save 10% with my code 'JYOTIRANI'