The idea of cleanliness and living without clutter is, of course, not new. It’s fairly old, in fact, as old as… you guessed it… Yoga.
In ‘Big Y Yoga’ (i.e. the yoga that is more than just the pretzels on the sticky mat), we recognize that there are certain ways of conducting ourselves as yogis that make us, well, better people.
We categorize these ways of being into five groups, which are called the five Niyamas.
The first of the Niyamas is called Saucha, which can be translated as ‘cleanliness.’ Saucha is the Yogic personal code involving cleanliness of body, mind, energy and external environment.
Typically, we all practice Saucha when we do things like cleaning up after ourselves, taking a shower, speaking well to each other. Sometimes, we dive a little deeper by having a closet clean-out, doing a detox, taking a retreat.
Saucha can also be applied to the sense of energy we have. A feeling of being ‘energetically cluttered’ is a good sign that some Yogic inner sweeping might be in order.
One of the ways to do this is to create more time. More time > more spaciousness > less energetic clutter > more inner cleanliness: Saucha.
Let’s pause for an honesty check in.
How often do you find yourself rushing to appointments? Turning up late? Cancelling at the last minute? Running out the door with just a peck on the cheek (rather than a pash!)?
Rush, rush, go, go…
This sort of rushing and busy-ness makes it almost impossible to have a feeling of being clear and clean energetically. It also means when we do show up for things—with our partner or in our broader lives—we are energetically ‘grubby.’
Here is my solution. (You might find this overly simple, you might even find this counterintuitive… here goes…)
Turning up ON TIME gives you MORE TIME.
Being punctual to your appointments, whether it’s meetings at work, coffee with friends, kids to school, date night with your partner, yoga class, whatever, will make you feel like you have more time in your schedule.
Give it a try!
Notice how taking a calmer approach shifts your mindset.
Notice how having a moment to spare before an appointment lets you check in with your body, your breath.
I promise that you’ll feel more relaxed and better prepared. I also think having this sense of spaciousness in a busy day may give your body a chance to say, “Hey lovely mind, could you feed me something healthy and delicious?” (rather than just getting the carb/choc/coffee craving-horn honked at you!!)
Come on, get goofy and say this out loud:
“This month I arrive to everything ON TIME”
Oh, and remember also that sometimes life simply does get in the way. If you are going to be late, you can still choose to feel relaxed, rather than anxious. Lateness does happen. Let’s be gentle with ourselves when it does.
About Amy McDonald
