सौछ Saucha
Saucha; Purity
Saucha is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘purity’ or ‘cleanliness’, and is the first of the five Niyamas, or personal observances, of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
Saucha invites us to purify our mind and body, thus helping to free our soul. This comes about through a nonjudgemental turn of attention inward. We must observe our thoughts, our words, our actions- beginning to slowly fine tune them in a way that establishes a cohesive, symbiotic relationship with all that exists around us. When we begin the purification of our human selves, we become lighter and less cluttered. Our true essence begins to shine from the inside out, and we are able to walk this world with more confidence and purpose.
When we speak about purity, we speak to our inner being.
Rather than focusing on our exterior cleanliness, we focus on the cleanliness of our interior body, our mind, our thoughts, our actions, and our intentions- all of which are connected.
