Sauca

Cleanliness of the body and mind develops disinterest in contact with others for self-gratification. — Yoga sutras

When the body is cleansed, the mind purified, and the senses controlled, joyful awareness needed to realize the inner self also comes. — Yoga sutras

When cleanliness is developed, it reveals what needs to be constantly maintained, and what is eternally clean. What decays is the external. What does not is deep within us. ~ T.K.V. Desikachar

The first niyama is sauca, or purity. Practicing sauca, we keep ourselves clean on the outside by ordinary means, and we keep ourselves clean on the inside through asana, pranayama, right eating practices, and right attitudes…Unlike the other yamas and niyamas, sauca receives two sutras of explanation. The work we do with sauca is primarily physical, but in both sutras the desired effect is in the mind. … On the mat, begin to experience the asanas and pranayama as purifying your body as well as strengthening it. Off the mat, cultivate consciousness and care around the choices you make concerning your mental and physical environment. Begin with your physical cleanliness, your grooming habits, the cleanliness of your clothes, and then work outward. How are your surroundings affecting you? Make your bed, clean the bathtub, and wash the dishes — then ask yourself the question again. How are my thoughts creating my emotional reality? Think of five things to be grateful for in this day, and then ask yourself the question again. Over time, as you apply the principle of sauca to your life, you will find a peace settles over you. As you no longer turn to “contact with others for self-gratification”, you will begin to experience the freedom and joy that is sauca. — Rolf Gates, Meditations from the Mat