Saucha

Saucha is a sanskrit word meaning purity. 

Krishnamamurti writes of the quality of experiencing this mental freedom when he says, "I enter fully into each experience, and I come out fully from each of them too. I put the whole of me into all I do, and... out of all I do."

I can honestly say that I have been witness to the opposite of this in my own experience. I have also had the experience of this freedom as well. It can be that I'm experiencing tired, sick, fear, the unknown, and in reference to India, at times deeply tired, sick, and uncomfortable.

The lessons from India were the slap you in your face (or ass) kind. At times, I was not able to eat or sleep and this made it difficult to be present. Other times, I was so present and so filled with joy, love, acceptance, and peace that I was brought to tears. 

"Purity asks that we make full and honest contact with the moment so there is nothing lost and no regrets." (an exert from the book, Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice, which by the way was part of my study with Janet Stone and the tribe of 500hr students.)

To this day, I read this book about every other day. It may only be one line or one page, but I have learned to see myself differently and with this, I see all beings and all life through an awakened awareness. The book is one of those practical guides that contains things that it seems should be obvious but can be forgotten. Janet reminds us to remember. Sometimes that's it. Just remember who you really are without all of the stories and tired, sick, and uncomfortableness. 

I need to be reminded to remember. 

The practice of saucha for me is slowing down and not piling one thing, thought, experience on top of another. When I approach teaching a class, I pause and allow myself to enter the space with a newness or wonderment. 

I learn a lot of things after they've happened. This has been the case most of the time. There are still glimpses of giving each moment my attention and feeling integrated into the present. They are deepening and beginning to layer with the spaces becoming less and less.

Cha-cha-cha-changes

One assignment from Deborah Adele's book is to ponder the words of Krishnamurti and live purely with each moment as it is. You can practice this for a month or like me, it will just begin to stick to you and at the least, you'll notice when you're not noticing.