Saucha: Cleansing to Purify the Soul
Saucha means cleanliness, or purification of the body both externally and internally. One might conjure images of yogis passing towels in between their nasal passages, but really, that’s just for show. We practice saucha every day when we wash our hands, brush our teeth, take a shower, launder our clothes, clean our home and so on. We practice saucha when we consume good, clean food that nourishes our body rather than depletes it.
We also practice saucha during our yoga asana practice. The postures tone our entire body and remove stagnation by circulating blood, moving lymph, and stimulating digestive fluids. Our muscles are strengthened as well as our abdominal organs, including the organs of detoxification: our lungs, liver, kidneys, and intestines.
Pranayama (breath control) cleanses and aerates the lungs and oxygenates the blood. As a result, the mind is cleared, the nerves are calmed, and the immune system is given a boost. I always feel like I get an internal flossing after a good pranayama practice.
In his book, Light on Yoga, BKS Iyengar describes saucha as more than just physical cleansing, it is “… cleansing the mind of its disturbing emotions like hatred, passion, anger, lust, greed, delusion, and pride.”
Just like dirt on my living room floor, these feelings are going to exist. They are part of the human experience. The same way I use a vacuum as a tool to clean up the dirt on my floor, I use my yoga practice as a tool to become more aware of the thoughts that cause me suffering. If I am aware of the negative fluctuations of thoughts entering my mind, I can practice saucha as a way of “cleaning” them up or letting them go.
With impurities existing in both our external and internal environment, every now and then its helpful to do a little cleaning to clear up the accumulation of debris in our body, mind, speech and home environment. Spring is a perfect time to do that.
On April 6, I join two other practitioners at WellSpring Wellness Center to bring you Spring Cleanse for Your Inner and Outer Self. Janet Opila-Lehman, a naturopathic doctor and occupational therapist, emphasizes the importance of a clean environment. She asks, “Does it feel like your environment is getting more toxic? Unfortunately, it is! By cleaning up our environment of electromagnetic 5G Energy, molds, mycotoxins, and other household toxins, we can live in a healthy space that accentuates and improves your wellness.”
Pam Walker, a metaphysical practitioner and healer, helps others identify negative thoughts and emotions within the body and provides an individual healing process. She posits, “If everything is energy, how does the energy of the world affect you? How does your energy affect the world? Tools are available to help you navigate these energies. We can all become, attract, and create the life we desire by understanding energy and how it transcends into your daily life.”
Spring Cleanse for Your Inner and Outer Self will conclude with a simple yoga practice that supports your liver, kidneys, intestines, and lungs in removing waste and toxins from your body.
With saucha of body, mind, spirit and surroundings we are directed towards a pure and positive life.
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Learn more about Pam Walker’s work here www.pathwaystohealng.com
Learn more about Janet Opila-Lehman’s work here www.wncnaturopathicmedicine.com