8 Limbs: Niyama 3: Tapas

“The practice must be steady, continuous and over a period of time” ~Patanjali

Tap: fire, heat, flame, cleanse

Tapas refers to our inner fire, our self discipline, spiritual growth and our burning desire to move forward and direct our energy in a way that illuminates our path. Our personal evolution begins when we burn away past karmas which drives transformation and pushes us to become stronger, more disciplined, and more aligned with our true selves.

We can practice tapas in our daily lives through avenues of the body, mind and our speech. We can build heat in our bodies through strengthening our core, the seat of our solar plexus and fire energy - we tap into the power of our manipura chakra here and drive the energy of the ego, willpower, stamina, vitality and inner power. If you need more fire in your life, choose a pose that feels intense in some way to you. And if you are the fiery type, then choose a pose that calms that fire. Accessing tapas in our minds by clearing out the unnecessary, that which is not needed in the moment, or long term. How can you keep your practice strong by witnessing, holding space and releasing - a truly continuous practice… Words can be a flower or a knife. Tapas in our speech applies to ways we directly or even indirectly talk to or about others. Words have the ability to light a fire or calm a fire. Choose wisely.