Feeling Stuck in Overwhelm? It Might Be Your Environment
Yamas and Niyamas part 6: Saucha/Purity
Over the last 5 weeks I have written about the 5 Yamas, or the first Limb of Yoga. These 5 principles are mostly focused on how we relate to others in our lives, yet it’s useful to also direct them inward. Today’s post is the first of the 5 Niyamas (2nd Limb of Yoga), which are how we relate to ourselves. If you haven’t yet read the previous posts, please scroll to the bottom to catch up. Consider subscribing so that you don’t miss a post! Both free and paid subscribers get access to all my posts, and I am so grateful for any support you give my work!
“Purity” is such a challenging word. There are many shame laden connotations with it. There are the sexual implications of young women being “impure” if they have sex before marriage. Many religions deem sexual thoughts as impure generally speaking. There is food based shaming that happens when people eat “clean” or don’t. Marketing companies love using the word to describe their products, giving you the idea that that their product is safe, chemical free, and will somehow save you from your toxic existence.
When discussing Saucha, I believe “clean” is a better term, and less problematic in today’s world.
What is Saucha/Purity?
When I think of things that are pure, they are also clean, like the first snow falling on the ground in Winter, not yet greyed by time and pollution. Pure water isn’t tainted by flavors, colors, or chemicals, like the rushing water of a mountain stream. I see these things as pure. There’s no judgment, no shaming, they just are.
Purity becomes more complicated when it comes to people. People are complicated and messy. Practicing Purity as Cleanliness brings some order to our normally chaotic existence. As I have said in numerous posts, there isn’t much out there that we can control. Practicing Purity or Cleanliness helps us at least control our environment.
Clean as Respect
I used to love walking in New York City where there was a trash can on every corner. I would feel so frustrated seeing litter on the streets because the city made it so easy to throw things away. If you can just wait 10 feet, you will find a trash can; you don’t need to drop your wrapper, willy nilly on the ground. Throwing trash in the can is a form of respect to everyone you share space with, whether outside or at home.
When you share a space with other people, everyone needs to contribute to its upkeep. The planet is falling apart right now because some people do their part while others don’t. We can only control ourselves, but even small contributions matter.
Do you have coffee/tea mugs filling up your work space? Do you have piles of both clean and dirty laundry all over your bedroom? Is there mail, both needed and junk, all over your kitchen counter? These are not judgments, trust me. I am asking you to notice your space.
Your Outsides Reflect Your Insides
Practicing purity by having a tidy environment will affect how you feel inside. My Dad used to have a sign over his desk that said “a neat desk is a sign of a sick mind.” Let’s just say that he did not have a sick mind, by those standards. I used to always tend toward the messy and chaotic environment, wading through clothes on the floor, plus books, papers, and various cups and plates. I felt messy emotionally, and my living space reflected that.
However, according to Chinese Theory and the laws of Feng Shui, Qi (energy) flows through us and around us. When clutter surrounds us, our Qi cannot flow freely and that affects how we feel. Free flow brings ease, while stuck flow creates dis-ease. Pain, according to Chinese Medicine, is a symptom of stuck Qi.
“When there is pain, there is no free flow; when there is free flow there is no pain.” ~Huang Di Nei Jing
When my room is a mess (which has improved over the years) I don’t sleep as well. I feel more stressed and overwhelmed. Having a clean space feels like I can breathe better and relax. I know that I am overstretched when I am unable to put things away, and clothes, papers, books, and other stuff get piled up all over.
To me, it always feels good when a space is clean. Keeping it that way is the practice.
Your surroundings match how you feel inside. It works both ways. My outside space affects my insides, and my insides are reflected in my space outside.
If you are overworked, it’s harder to clean your space and keep it clean.
If you haven’t slept enough, it’s harder to muster the energy you need to organize.
When you feel depressed, it’s harder to take care of yourself generally.
If you are constantly stressed over money, you’ll have many other things on your mind.
In this regard, to practice Saucha requires that your life is balanced and in order (cue hysterical laughing now). Are you getting good quality sleep every night or are you having hot flashes or restless sleep? Are you feeling stressed out with work or family and unable to prioritize yourself and your needs? Are you able to eat nourishing foods or are you always on the go, grabbing whatever is there?
Practicing Saucha encourages you to look at your life overall. Notice if you are making yourself a priority or find yourself at the bottom of your list. Prioritizing yourself will make you feel better and allow you to create more internal space. “Purifying” your internal space will enable you to look outside of yourself into your environment. Allow your outsides to match your insides, in a positive way.
So what are next steps?
Pause. Nothing can change without noticing what is. Practices like yoga (on the mat) and meditation give you the opportunity to tune into yourself. Slowing down and pausing creates space from where answers arise.
If your living space contributes to your overwhelm, feel that for a moment. Is there one small thing you can do to change things for the better?
When I am ready to get out of overwhelm, I make my tasks smaller. Instead of cleaning my whole room, I clean for 10 minutes and get done what I can. Sometimes that’s all I do, sometimes it creates enough momentum to finish the whole task. Less is more, when it comes to feeling overwhelmed.
Maybe I will put away one basket of laundry (yes, I have more than one). Maybe I will simply clear the dishes from my work space. If I can get 1 email off my to-do list, that’s progress! Doing “the whole thing,” whatever that may be, can be too much to handle when you feel overwhelmed. Any small task that moves you forward will get you unstuck and feeling better. Sometimes just noticing how you feel is enough.
If you feel chronically overwhelmed, can you do less? Are there stories you are telling yourself that are keeping you trapped and stuck? You might need to rest. That’s what the Universe has been shouting at me lately. “Janine, please rest!” The more I listen, the better I feel.
When I rest, I can clear the clutter, both inside and out. I can get things off my to-do list so they aren’t hanging over my head. I have the wherewithal to ask for help when I need it, or say no when I just can’t.
Slow down. Pause. Breathe. Notice. Allow.
Move forward when you are ready.
Previous posts in the series (in order):
I have never been so motivated to clean my room, do the dishes, and start a load of laundry!