Tapas: The Purifying Flame

I have a burning desire to hold still in the asana, to get rid of the sugar habit, to tend my garden and grow nourishing food. I have a burning desire to transform the weight of drama into an expression of light, to chant Om Mani Padme Hum, to rise before dawn, taste stillness and the space of nothingness. There is a flame, a spark that ignites this passion that launches me into action. Action without reaction. It is an unseen uniting force of personal will and divine will that pushes me out of the seat of complacency and pulls me into a meandering river of devotion. 

This is tapas. It is the friction, the spark and the fire. The spark that motivates us to take the first step on the meandering path of transformation; the spark that keeps us walking the path, one foot in front of the other. It is the fire that maintains focus and determination to clear the way of obstacles. It is the heat and pressure that refines and polishes the light of consciousness, light of the heart, satchitananda. 

Tapas on its own is too hot, resistant, and burning. The heat of tapas is necessary to create change, to transform, to breakthrough habitual motion. But coupled with the energy of compassion, love and reverence (ishvara pranidhana) we can learn acceptance of the challenges we are presented with and move through them with greater strength. 

Acceptance eases tension and gives way to the purifying flame. With the acceptance of challenge we learn to trust that its been presented to us, whether intentional or not, because we have everything it takes, in this moment, to transform it.

For the spring sadhana, we with tapas, a burning desire to change something or the desire to move through a present challenge that is causing friction in life. We begin with the physical body, the outermost layer or sheath. As this is the most accessible, and is the gateway into the innermost part of the Self, that part that is unchanging. 

To remain steady and focused, we need to strengthen the body, more specifically the spine and core. We connect with the danda. The central core of our being, the spinal column, the pranic core, our own internal support, which is also connected to a greater source of energy and power. This unwavering strength supports the ability to stand strong in our center while coming face to face with life's challenges.