Tapas - The Burning Off of Impurities

If we dive into the 8 Limbs of Yoga by Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, which essentially act as guidelines act as guidelines on how to live a meaningful and purposeful life. we come to the second limb or 'Niyamas' which has to do with self-discipline and spiritual observances.

One of the five niyamas (and a personal favorite) is the concept of 'Tapas' or heat/ spiritual austerities. You can think of this as a 'burning away' of density or restrictions that keep us trapped in our non-serving habits. The Sun is often considered the original tapas.

So what does Tapas look like in real life application?

• You are in your yoga class (or any other physical activity) and your teacher has you holding an exerting pose (or perhaps you a maxing out your reps). Your body is wanting a break and your mind is trying to convince you to move or release from the situation. But instead of giving in you (safely) push through, focusing on your breath and clearing away those thoughts.

• You are trying to break a bad habit (for example: removing coffee from your diet or doing a cleanse). When you get the urge to indulge in the patterning your mind is use to taking and instead of giving in you resist, choose a healthier option or sit with the urge until it goes away.

These are a few examples of Tapas in action. By building tapas you are releasing or 'burning away' stagnant energy and building creative energy in return.