The yamas or restraints are practiced for the purpose of living together in harmony. It’s like mowing the lawn and cleaning the weeds and trash in your yard. You do it to be a better neighbor, and to make the neighborhood more beautiful and harmonious.
But why does a mountain climber attempt The Grand Teton climb? To be a better neighbor? No. He does it as a personal quest, to determine what inner strength and stamina lies hidden waiting to come out. This is one difference between the yamas and niyamas.
The niyamas are a chosen personal practice done for personal reasons and motivation. You increase your own spiritual or mental health because of your own discipline in the practice.
I give all our students a challenge as we study the niyamas to pick a different personal practice each month, if you feel inspired. Do it for yourself – to see what inner strength you have to do new, different or challenging things.
Here are some ideas and options for a personal practice of Saucha, purity. The channels into the body are mouth, eyes, ears and mind. Pick one of these channels and choose purity for the month. One option would be the channel of the ears. Choose for this month to listen to only uplifting news, music, movies and speech. Remove yourself from all other negative sources. Then observe what happens. Practice saucha by being mindful and watchful of what enters your ears.
The awesome photo of the Grand Teton is from here.
