May 21, 2020
Yoga is hard. I’ve been practicing yoga for over 20 years, and I still think it’s challenging. But something worth doing is never easy, and I’m talking about one of the most difficult practices in yoga on this episode of The Yoga Inspiration Podcast - the Tapas.
We all come to our first yoga practice for selfish reasons - and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! Wanting to strengthen your body, open your mind, and improve your health are all great reasons to seek out a yoga studio. But yoga isn’t a fast and easy shortcut away from suffering. Yoga is a journey, and like all journeys, your yoga practice will come with its own and deeply personal trials and tribulations.
How do you face these trials?
Patanjali’s Tapas are the way to make sense of them, but it’s more than just a few complicated poses and positions. Tapas is how you identify and burn away the chains of your ego so that you can continue your spiritual growth.
Your ego is how you recognize yourself and your personality, so the Tapas will not be easy. Tapas are here to help you learn how to break the habits of being yourself.
Sounds intense, doesn’t it? That’s because it is. As you meet this confrontation on your yoga mat, you will experience two levels of Tapas:
I discuss in more detail what these levels mean, because it is more than just your physical body that benefits from this kind of yoga practice. According to Patanjali - whom I also discuss more in this episode - the benefits of Tapas start first with the physical body, and then move through the energy and space around and within the body.
The Tapas will start in Kaia, your physical body. This also includes your subconscious, where your thoughts reign. You have to be able to bring your subconscious thoughts to the surface in order to benefit from the Tapas, and that means taking on your ego.
Then the Tapas move to your physical senses, the Indria. Your senses are more than just a means to experience the external world - they are just as important to your internal world, too. In order to benefit from the Tapas, you will have to turn your senses back in toward yourself and your spiritual journey.
Finally, you can achieve Siddhi after putting in the work that the Tapas require of you. And you may not achieve it in this lifetime. The important part is that you put in the work and get on the mat every day to tackle your ego. Because it’s not easy, and I admire anyone that can power through and take on even the most impossible pose.
The Tapas will be strongest during your hardest practice, so never let the pain hold you back. Whether it’s physical or emotional, the pain is what leads to this purification and brings up the fire and heat within is. When you feel the burn, that means your Tapas is on fire - and my advice is to let it burn.
If you’re a practicing yoga student with an inspiring journey, please share a bit of your yoga journey with me and my listeners. Send me an email at info@kinoyoga.com and tell me - what does yoga mean to you? You could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast with Kino MacGregor!