The Niyama Saucha: Making Space for Your True Self

Saucha is the Sanskrit word that translates to cleanliness or purity. It is the first of the Niyamas, or personal observances, described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Saucha refers to purification in both our internal and external worlds.

On the surface, cleanliness is pretty easy to understand. We organize our homes, take showers, clean the car, wash clothes. For me, when my house is clean, I can relax. I take a shower and the physical act of cleansing helps me feel lighter. But Saucha goes much deeper than our physical environment. It asks us to look inward and consider how we can purify our thoughts, our actions, and the things we are allowing into our lives.

One of my favorite books about this is The Yamas & Niyamas by Deborah Adele. She describes Saucha as an invitation to cleanse our bodies, minds, and actions so we can be more available to the qualities in life that we are seeking. I love this idea of being more available. Because when we clear out some of the things that are getting in the way, we create more room for what is already there.

What you are consuming these days? The food you eat, books you read, shows you watch. The conversations you have, people you spend time with. We constantly consuming and digesting information, opinions, expectations, other people's ideas of how we should live. And all of it impacts our internal environment, our cleanliness.

The question on our own consumption becomes: Is this helping me feel clear, or is it muddying the waters? Is it helping me feel connected to myself? Is it supporting my body, thoughts, and spirit? Or is it leaving me feeling distracted, overwhelmed, depleted?

There is no need to judge any of it. This is simply an opportunity to notice.

In The Secret Power of Yoga (another one of my favorite yoga books!), Nischala Devi describes Saucha through the metaphor of silver. Pure silver is naturally luminous and shiny, but when it is unrefined, that luminance is hidden. The silver needs to go through the fire to be refined, and the silversmith has to pay close attention to the process. Too little time won't fully refine it, while too much could destroy it. She knows the silver is ready when she can clearly see her own reflection in it.

I love this metaphor because sometimes to cleanse ourselves, we need little bit of fire.

We can create that fire on our mats through movement, challenging ourselves, core work, breath, and practices that create heat and ask us to stay present. But the fire isn't the destination. The fire helps us clear away what isn't essential so we can see what is underneath. So we have more clarity and make decisions that feel more resonant. Choices from our heart, our intuition, our values - rather than constantly reacting to everything around us.

This feels especially important in the world we live in today. We are constantly digesting and consuming. Constantly being told who we should be, what we should want, what we should look like, what we should buy, and how we should live. I've even heard the phrase we are in a "consumption economy" and honestly that really bothers me! That people are basically profiting on our minds!

Saucha invites us to be simple and clean out the noise. We need space to hear ourselves and be present. Awakening to what is happening right now, and sit with ourselves. Tapping into our intuition and make choices from our truest nature.

Let's begin by asking yourself...What is one way I can purify my external environment? And what is one way I can purify my internal environment? Maybe it's cleaning out a closet, taking a break from social media, spending less time doing what leaves you depleted. Maybe it's sitting quietly, creating space to hear yourself think.

The Niyamas are these beautiful personal observances that gently nudge us in a particular direction. Saucha is an invitation to clear away some of the muck so your true nature room to shine through. It's a pretty beautiful practice, seeing what remains when you clear away what is no longer essential. Your essence. Your intuition. Your curiosity. Your childlike wonder. Your pure goodness. It's always there, you just need to make space for it.

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