Saucha
CODES OF CONDUCTS - NIYAMA
The current situation calls upon us to enhance safety and protection in the form of cleanliness saucha - the cleanliness within - working in deept with the yoga of body, mind and spirit as well as in our surroundings with new hygiegne standarts. At Copenhagen Yoga this means that we are working with asanas and sequences that balances and calms you, so you are protected with a strong immune system and that we apply clean and safe surroundings with the Safety & Health Codes of Conduct.
Within yoga philosophy, Patanjali Yoga Sutras is probably one of the most important books to read. In it - written by Patanjali (about 3000 BC) - it is carefully described how to get around life as a yogi.
Yoga Sutra´s are divided into 3 padas (chapters). It carefully describes the 8 branches (8 limps) for one's yoga development, under the names yama and niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara dharana, dhyana and samadhi.
Yama are rules about how to live a disciplined life within and around you. And Niyama is "Inner rules".
Saucha - Cleanliness is one of the central niyamas in yogic tradition. It is the inner cleanliness, the cleanliness of being - body, mind and spirit resembling the outer cleanliness such as hygiene.
One of the most significant teachings on cleanliness is described in this sutra with the commentary below by BKS Iyengar.
Yoga sutras II.40
śaucāt svāṅga-jugupsā parair asaṁsargaḥ
“From cleanliness, protection of one’s own body and non-contact with what is adverse.”
”As a temple or a church is kept clean each day, the inner body, the temple of the soul, should be bathed with a copious supply of blood through āsanas and prāṇāyāma. They cleanse the body physically, physiologically and intellectually. The body, having its own intelligence, develops its potential to change its behavioral patterns.”
Commentary by BKS Iyengar, on Light on the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali II.40
I hope you will embrace the new Safety & Health Codes of Conduct, and work with me in enhancing your practice of Yoga applying cleanliness within and in our surroundings.
As Yoga comes together in the union of modern society as well as ancient tradition, I welcome you all to Yoga!
Namasté Mette
Safety & Health Copenhagen Yoga Codes of Conduct.