As we become more refined, we would take care to look at that which needs the most attention. For most people, the bathroom is the dirtiest place of the house. Saucha of the house starts with the bathroom. Making sure the toilet, showers, and the sink are spotless will help you cultivate respect for your body, because it is the bathroom that you see your body the most.
That which is around the house, such as the gardens and the pathways, reflects the outer body. During the years when my focus was more on my internal growth, I found that I did not take care of my garden. As my evolution moved me towards balancing inner growth with outer growth, then the order of the garden became important as well. On the other hand, we may keep a very orderly garden and a very orderly exterior, but when inside of the house is not kept well, this shows that the façade is more important than the reality, that what is on the outside is more important than what is on the inside. In yoga, we try to balance the inside and the outside, keeping both the visage as well as the face clean and orderly.
Our automobile is that which moves us from one place to the next, and when we do not care for this vehicle of movement, we basically are jeopardizing our own movement towards our goals. It is important to keep our cars clean because this shows we are interested in sanctifying the modality of progress or, at least, movement. Saucha is also important in the food we eat. Inorganic foods are contaminated with toxins (the worst kind of dirt) and should be avoided, as should processed foods. In general, foods with artificial chemicals added must be shunned. Fresh, organically grown foods are ideal for the yogic diet. Why? When we eat toxins such as pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, preservatives, artificial colors, artificial flavors, stabilizers, etc., these toxins must be flushed out of the body, but this requires energy.
Often it cannot be flushed out of our bodies since we do not have the extra energy to do so, and so the toxins get enveloped by fat to protect the body, and then are stored for future flushing. Unfortunately, most people never get to the point of having an abundant energy reserve, and so this fat-protected toxic layer pervades the body, and increases each day! This leads to hundreds of diseases and problems in the body. Additionally, the organic foods we eat must be well cleaned. Though much more nutritious than inorganic or irradiated food, organic food still often has tiny parasites and bugs in it. Clean it with Fruit and Vegetable Rinse (available at Yoga Centers) before eating. The shadow side of saucha is seeing everyone else as dirty. It is important to realize that each person comes from their own level of consciousness, and making judgments about them is unyogic. Let us embrace saucha as an integral part of our life, and we will feel more protected energetically, more respectful of our bodies and environment, and as a result, be more efficient, and feel more relaxed and happy in a cleaner and more organized environment.
Aadil Palkhivala©2008