Tapas : Austerities

“When you practice austerities, you destroy the impurities within your body and mind; awaken your latent physical and mental powers”.

- Pat.añjali’s Yoga Sūtra 2.43

The Sanskrit word ‘tapas’ is derived from the root ‘tap’ meaning to blaze, burn or heat. It signifies a burning effort to achieve a definite goal in life. It signifies your attempt to strengthen your mental control and restrain your senses.

In ancient times, yoga practitioners were referred to as “tapasvins”, meaning people who do tapas. The practice stems from the determination to do something that is difficult in order to purify and strengthen your mind. Its goal is to enable you you to focus and meditate more easily.

After years of teaching meditation courses, I noticed that when I asked students to practise a ‘tapas’, at least ninety percent of them chose to give up chocolate. But, tapas is meant to be more than physically giving up a sensory indulgence. It involves making your mind do something that it doesn’t really want to do, or not letting it do something that it is inclined to do. If your mind wants chocolate, then you may give up chocolate as a tapas. But for the person who doesn’t like chocolate, this particular renunciation is not a tapas.

Because of this apparent obsession with chocolate, I now ask students choose a more creative tapas that does not involve food. Once, during a meditation course, a participant chose a wonderful tapas:…. click here to read full article