YS II.40 शौचात् स्वाङ्गजुगुप्सा परैरसंसर्गः॥४०॥
Śaucāt svāṅga-jugupsā parairasaṁsargaḥ
“By purification arises disgust for one’s own body and for contact with other bodies.” – Translation by Swami Satchidananda
This “disgust” doesn’t mean hatred, but detailed awareness that the body is essentially the cause of impurity – leading to deeper discrimination between superficial identification and the true Self.
YS II.41 सत्त्वशुद्धिसौमनस्यैकाग्र्येन्द्रियजयात्मदर्शनयोग्यत्वानि च॥४१॥
Sattva-śuddhi‑saumanasya‑ekāgrya‑indriya‑jaya‑ātma‑darśana‑yogyatvāni ca
“Moreover, one gains purity of sattva, cheerfulness of mind, one‑pointedness, mastery over the senses, and fitness for Self‑realization.” – Translation by Swami Satchidananda
The thereafter following benefits – inner purity leads to cheerfulness, concentration, sense-control, and readiness for deeper meditative insight.
Saucha: Purity, cleanliness (sauch – to be radiant). Saucha is the first of the five Niyama practices – the yogi’s behavior towards himself. The practice of saucha means to clean the body to know the body. Most commonly, this means brushing teeth and bathing. Less commonly known are yoga kriyās. A kriyā refers to a purposeful action that purifies – like cleaning and cleansing the body, energy work, or internal practices. The main purpose of kriyās in Hatha Yoga is to purify the annamaya kośa (physical layer of our existence) before engaging in deep prāṇāyāma and meditation practices to cleanse the other four layers/sheaths. In class, we work on all the sheaths. Each sheath can be cleansed in various ways, but we typically purify the physical sheath, annamaya kośa, through āsana; the energy sheath, prāṇamaya kośa, through prāṇāyāma; the mental-emotional sheath, manomaya kośa, through meditation and mantra chanting; the wisdom sheath, vijñānamaya kośa, through self-inquiry and study of spiritual scripture; and the bliss sheath, ānandamaya kośa, through devotion and love.
Kriyā can be as simple as taking a shower, to the complex practice of ṣaṭkarmā (six purifying actions), which involves techniques to cleanse the digestive tract (Dhauti), colon (Basti), nasal passages (Neti), eyes and mental focus (Trataka), abdominal organs (Nauli), and the lungs and mind (Kapalabhati). Brushing your teeth, for example, would be part of Dhauti. Another Dhauti kriyā would be tongue scraping or oil pulling. An enema would be a Basti kriyā, and so on.
Sometimes we have an unhealthy relationship with the body’s waste products and/or its parts. Cleansing the body helps us develop a healthier relationship and better understanding of its functions, seeing all bodily excretions as simply part of the functioning system. To master something means we need to deeply understand it. Understanding is a strong form of love. Doing deliberate actions of purification, cleaning the outer layer first to then affect deeper layers, is one way to reach mokśa (enlightenment). When this is practiced as sādhana (disciplined practice that leads to liberation)- we purify step by step each of the five kośas, unveiling the innate light of Brahman (absolute reality) within, that is already shining beneath accumulated saṃskāras (imprints of the mind/conditioning). Seer, seeing, and seen merge into oneness. This is yoga – true Godliness.
“Take care of the body temple – not out of vanity, but as a sacred vessel of awakening.” – Sharon Gannon
In a temple, ashram, or monastery, it is usually right after morning practice that you engage in cleaning the space you live in, usually practiced in silence to deepen mindfulness, or together with mantra repetition – this is a service to the sangha (community), or to God/Goddess or the Gods. Our body and our home are our temple, and the yogin treats both like Divine gifts, with respect and care. Our home isn’t restricted to our unit or house but it is the entire Earth. Treating body and Earth with care means choosing food that nourishes without harm – being vegan is an act of love, caring for one’s body, the animals, and the home we share with all beings. A practitioner of yoga benefits from a clean, simple, and well-organised environment. It is easier to relax in, and easier for the mind to calm if there’s not so many stimuli. The environment so often reflects the inner state. A dirty and messy home can lead to disease and injury, endangering all inhabitants.
Sometimes, things get dirty again even right after cleaning – this should not discourage us. If we live simply, there’s not much to clean or to manage, not many obstacles to look out for. Having a lot of things or a big space to live in is harder to manage and takes longer to clean. Moving house will also be much easier with less things. Imagine living in only one room like a monk or a nun – cleaning or moving house would take only minutes – so liberating.
“For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” – 1 Timothy 6:7
With a well cleaned environment and mind every day, any additional dirt/obstacle that arises, externally or internally, is easy to deal with and swept away in seconds by a broom, or mantra, or simply mindfulness. When we face difficult situations and conflict, maybe at work or with a partner or family member, the habit of purification will help us let go of the situation instead of holding a grudge and thinking about it for hours or days. It also becomes more likely that we clean up after ourselves by admitting that we have made a mess, and instead of blaming others or finding excuses, taking responsibility. An even deeper practice would be to clean up a mess we didn’t cause. For a realized yogi, it doesn’t matter who or what created the problem in the past – what matters is what can, and should, be done now.
We must be careful where we put the trash when cleaning. Recycling is a great virtue these days. Sharron-Ji used to say something like this “There is no ‘away’ – when we throw something out, it doesn’t disappear, it just moves out of sight. But the Earth still holds it, and we are still responsible.”
As we sweep the floor with mindfulness and remove dirt from the floor, we can see what is underneath the layer of dirt, and maybe even the origin of the impurity. If the floor is so full of leaves and the mind so full of thoughts that we can’t see the floor or our true Self anymore, we might mistake the floor for a bunch of leaves, body and mind for who we truly are.
Now I’m not an environmental saint, but I do consider myself a committed environmentalist. Here are some simple ways I try to practice daily that make a real difference:
- Make cleaning a spiritual act. Chant the monthly mantra – or any preferred mantra – out loud or silently while cleaning.
- Get rid of things. Unclutter your home, donate/recycle what you don’t need.
- Use Earth-friendly products. Choose organic, compostable, vegan, and cruelty-free items for cleaning and personal care. Plastic is the most common pollutant on Australian beaches – 75% of marine debris is plastic, harming wildlife through ingestion and entanglement.
- Pick up litter. Help keep parks, streets, and beaches clean by collecting trash and disposing of it properly.
- Sort your waste. Many countries separate waste into 4–5 categories (plastic, organic, glass, paper, metal).
- Go more or fully vegan. Animal agriculture contributes more greenhouse gases than all global transport combined – 14.5% of global emissions, according to the UN FAO. Try increasing your vegan lifestyle by 20%, 50%, or even 100%.
- Watch eye-opening documentaries. Seaspiracy and others can deepen your understanding of global environmental issues.
- Keep your yoga space clean. Tidy your mat and props after use, ensuring the space is safe and welcoming for others.
– Dean Galip