Purity, as a principle of yoga, is often misunderstood. This first Niyama–an ethical guideline yogis commit to following–is about more than cleanliness, another common translation of the Sanskrit “saucha.” As a group, the Niyamas represent the ethical guidelines yogis agree to adhere to in relationship to their Self as opposed to the Yamas that are meant to guide yogis in their relationships with others and the world around them. In managing your Self, there is more to purity than personal hygiene.
Purity, in reference to how you relate to your Self, is about living in the world in a way that helps you remain pure to your dharma, or life’s purpose. These choices often encompass practical choices like keeping your body clean, but not just with soap and shampoo. The food you eat helps you maintain a pure body, the music you listen to and the information you allow yourself to consume can help you maintain a pure mind, and the activities you engage in on a daily basis can help you maintain pure energy.
In this way, all yoga practices assist in helping you create purity in your body, energy, mind, and soul, but, as with anything, these practices must be engaged in moderation so you don’t overdo it.
Purity in my personal practice
I vividly remember my 300HR graduation ceremony. Each student would walk to the front of the room when their name was called to receive their certificate and then select a potted plant from the front of the room. Each plant was different and each pot was painted differently. One of the Yamas or Niyamas was written 0n the back of the pot. Upon choosing our plant we turned the pot around to see which Yama or Niyama spoke to us in that moment. The intention was for us to take that principle into our practice and teaching in the coming months as we went about our lives as 500HR RYTs. The principle I chose was Purity.
At first, I was a little disappointed. I wasn’t nearly as well-versed in my understanding of the Yamas and Niyamas as I am now and I still thought of purity as cleanliness. I also have memories of a former yoga studio I worked for posting signs in the bathroom with the word “Saucha” on it as a reminder for the patrons to keep themselves and the bathrooms clean. These days I would argue that’s cultural appropriation and an incomplete understanding of what Saucha really means. I had this idea burned in my psyche that purity was all about being clean and I couldn’t understand how I needed to work on purity in my practice. I shower (almost) every day. I wash my face, brush my teeth, wear deodorant, and make a passing effort to look presentable(ish) when I leave the house. With a limited understanding of the principle of purity, I was struggling to see what more I could do to integrate this concept in my practice and life.
Over the years, my selection of the Purity pot began to make more sense. It was a subtle reminder for me to remain pure to who I am, what my purpose is, and what I have to teach and offer the world. It’s been quite a journey for me to own my authentic voice, my power as a teacher, and my purpose to teach through the vehicle of writing. To practice purity–authenticity–requires courage in the face of immense social pressure. Too often we are encouraged by well-meaning family members, friends, and colleagues to take the “safe” route and follow the lead of others who have figured out exactly what you need to do to find success rather than trust and follow our own hearts.
The Sutra
Sutra 2.40: When you live with an attitude of cleanliness or purity towards your own body, you develop a desire to protect what is pure and clean and distance yourself from what is unclean.
Sutra 2.41: Cultivating an attitude of cleanliness or purity also leads to happiness, the ability to concentrate, a mastery of the senses, and the capability to realize your True Self.
In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, purity is first introduced as a principle applied toward your body. This, I believe, is why cleanliness is often used to explain Sutra 2.40. But it’s what Patanjali says next that really matters. When you develop an attitude of purity toward your body, you develop a desire to to protect what is pure within you and reject those things that take you away from your True Self.
This is especially poignant when it comes to how you choose to eat. When you choose to eat pure, clean foods that make you feel good, you are making choices that protect the health, strength, vitality, and energy of your body over foods that will make your mind feel good momentarily but damage your body, overall health, and energy over time. As you continue to commit to the principle of purity in your body, these choices will ripple out into the rest of your daily life choices . You’ll choose to put yourself in relationships that protect your energy, jobs that protect your integrity, and activities that protect your ability to remain True to your life’s purpose. Practicing purity is about optimizing your energy and wellbeing.
Sutra 2.41 is not included in all translations of the Sutra, perhaps because it’s a bit repetitive. Regardless, it’s a reminder that developing an attitude of purity helps you not only develop a respect for your body as a temporary temple housing your soul, but also helps you feel happier, think more clearly, focus, and leads you closer toward your truest expression of your Self. The principle of purity is an essential stepping stone on the path toward enlightened living.
Put it into practice
To start practicing purity on the mat, consider spending time reflecting on all the parts of your body you love. Affirm this self-love with phrases such as:
- “I am strong”
- “I am beautiful”
- “I am ok”
- “I am worthy”
- “I am pure”
Choose a phrase that feels authentic to you and try repeating the affirmation while you are in a related posture that helps you embody the sentiment. Challenge yourself in asana practice by working on a posture you’ve always wanted to master and be patient with yourself as you marvel at the abilities you do have in the present moment and what is possible when you focus on a goal. Remember to be flexible. The shape of a posture doesn’t matter as much as the embodiment of that posture and there are many ways and shapes to embody all postures. Choose the embodiment that will feel most authentic to you.
As a teacher, practice purity by spending time reflecting on how you can best share your authentic voice as a teacher. This takes time to unfold and requires space for deep inquiry. How can you integrate all the parts of you into your teaching? What do you really want to share with others? What calls to you most strongly and what skills do you have that will allow you to share most effectively, regardless of how yoga is “traditionally” shared these days. Practicing purity is an opportunity for you to both get to know your Self better but also for you to be creative with how you show up as a teacher in a crowded field.
An affirmation + asana practice for purity
Take a moment to practice the integration of affirmation and asana with this short practice video below. In this practice, I’ll guide you into a yoga posture and instruct you to repeat an affirmation while in the pose. Feel free to continue your practice with other postures that feel appropriate and switch up the affirmations as it feels appropriate in the moment. Enjoy!
