Saucha: Starting with a clean slate.

Saucha - Cleanliness

The first of the five niyamas is Saucha, translated as cleanliness. This first niyama can be seen not only as an act of self-care & external decluttering but also one of internal realignment. 

On the most obvious level, saucha refers to cleanliness on a material level, decluttering our spaces, taking care of the way we treat our bodies, through maintaining good hygiene (don’t worry, this isn’t a piece on the benefits of showering), keeping our skin & hair healthy & hydrated & nourishing our bodies with healthy food. It may be noted that during times of intense stress & mental health difficulties, these simple acts of self-care are often the first to go, as self-esteem lowers we may deem these most basic acts of self-care as unimportant, ultimately seeing ourselves & our own bodies as unimportant (this is not to be confused with the virtue of selflessness). These acts of self care are instead acts of self-love that serve to maintain a positive relationship with ourselves & our own bodies. 

On a more subtle level, saucha can refer to our own internal alignment, you may have heard the saying “a clean heart always wins”, referring to the idea that those with pure intentions, those whose actions align with deeper values, will persevere. This requires honest communication, both with those around us & with ourselves as to what our intentions are as we proceed through relationships & working environments.