To Clean Inside and Out—Saucha

Cleaning is a family tradition on my mothers side. According to my mom, her uncle Johny was the cleanest of the clean. Mom would talk about uncle Johny like he was an idol of some kind, some pinnacle of cleaning that one day she hoped to live up to. When he would visit my mother and her family, he would often point out all the places that they were not cleaning. In his own home, he polished everything daily— all the silverware, the windows, the furniture. The laundry was bleached and pressed to perfection, and nothing was out of place, ever.

We visited uncle Johny in Milano, Italy, when I was six years old. What I remember is that he had a very small apartment with no bathroom! There was a shared bathroom (with a toilet and shower) for all the people who lived on the same apartment floor. We had to go onto an outdoor hallway to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, and that wasn’t the worst part. There was no toilet, only a small hole in the floor that you had to do your best to aim at. As a six year old child, I was terrified that I would fall into that hole!

So uncle Johny had a super clean tiny apartment with no bathroom to clean! I guess he had lots of time to clean because there wasn’t much to really clean at all!

I did pick up some of these familial cleaning habits over the years. But for me, cleaning my home is a process of finding the middle ground. I like a clean space, but I am not particularly interested in being uncle Johny—and I am very grateful for my in home flush toilet! I guess the better word for me is “tidy.” I don’t need all of my rooms and surfaces polished every day, but I like a basic sense of organization.

Saucha

Saucha is a Sanskrit word and one of the five Niyamas that means “purity” or “cleanliness.” It is a yogic ethic that is encouraged in a complete yogic practice. To practice saucha means to seek cleanliness in mind, speech, body, and space. I believe saucha specifically refers to cleaning out the clutter that clogs up our thinking, our bodies, and our homes.

Body

In practicing saucha to clean our bodies, we bathe and care for the outside of our bodies, applying oils and avoiding harsh chemicals. We also care about what we put inside our bodies. I often refer to a principle from my days of being a La Leche League Leader (women coaches who help breastfeeding mothers) when I reference clean eating. LLL’s guide for eating a healthy diet is to eat a diet rich in whole foods as close as possible to their natural state. I feel that this phrase is very inclusive and offers room for people to explore what works best for them and their families while keeping the menu as simple and clean as possible. In yoga we call a very clean diet based on whole foods a sattvic diet. It is the diet of the yogi.

Some other practices of body saucha include: neti—the use of a water pot to clean the sinuses, nauli—a abdominal massage to clean the digestive tract, kapalabhati—to clean the breath and the sinuses again, and asana—of course to keep the body moving with more health and ease.

Mind

To practice saucha for the mind means to be aware of our thoughts and our actions and apply discernment to these actions. In yoga and meditation, we make a habit and practice noticing our thoughts. We can’t instantly change our thought patterns. But with dedication over time we can notice when we are creating mind clutter with obsessive thoughts, and then reflect on if these thoughts are helpful or harmful. We can also build a practice of observing our reactions. When do we want to lash out or to call someone out when things don’t go our way? I am not saying we should never speak up, I am saying that we should apply discernment to those moments when we want to react and consider if our reactions will again be helpful or harmful.

Meditation and trataka—candle gazing, and mantra sadhana are other ways to practice saucha for the mind. Being thoughtful in our choice of media is another important aspect of saucha for the mind.

Space

A wise yogi once said that you can tell the state of someone’s thinking mind by the state of their home or living environment. A very cluttered home and living space indicates a more cluttered mind. I do think this is true! For me, my art room is the most cluttered space! My art mind is very full of thoughts and ideas. I do try to keep my studio organized, but I don’t obsess over the space, and there is lots of clutter and cobwebs! The other spaces in my home I keep more tidy and organized, but Uncle Johny would have lots to say about my art studio space (Spiacente, zio!)

You can read this blog post for some of my personal tips on keeping a home space tidy. I also like to use non-toxic cleaners and essential oils to further purify my home space.

The aim of saucha, or any of these yogic ethics, isn’t to harp on perfectionism or to feel guilt about what we are—or are not doing. It’s about remembering that reflecting on our thoughts and actions is a constant practice of imperfection. Saucha is a practice of honoring your body and your space from the inside out and not obsessing over the details. Striving for purity will only cause more pain and harm to ourselves and to others. It is a better practice to be humble and remember that we are in constant evolution in the practice of yoga. In this way, we can be more accepting of who we are and in turn be more accepting of others.

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