(Im)pure

pu·ri·ty

–noun 1. condition or quality of being pure; freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes, etc.

Imagine my surprise when I attended a new yoga class yesterday and the teacher started the class with a talk on purity.

Purity? Purity, to me, is such a loaded word bringing about thoughts of church, chastity, and perfection. "Who wants to be pure. Pure seems so boring!" I said in my head.

Then I thought--what in the heck do I think I'm doing with all this yoga and meditation? To some degree I AM purifying my body and mind (even if that was not my original intention).



A natural consequence of doing yoga is purifying the body through the breath.



A natural consequence of doing meditation is having a mind that is more calm and peaceful.

What I realized is that as a result of doing these practices I was making different choices about what I consume.

The Buddha taught that there are 4 kinds of "nutriments"--things which enable living beings to grow and maintain life--I think about them like nutrition we use to feed our mind and body.


4 Nutriments
1. Edible food and drink--the nutrients that sustain our bodies and feed our brain
2. Sense impressions--what we see, hear, taste, smell, touch and think
3. Volition--our inner motivation
4. Consciousness--everything that we have thought, said, or done throughout our lives

According to Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, through self reflection people can discover the nutriments that feed them and the nutriments that can lead to happiness or suffering.

Think about this in your own life:
-What messages do you feed your senses through the TV you watch or the magazines/books your read? Are they feeding your senses toxins or healthy messages?

-What foods/beverages do you consume that may be creating health or causing long term suffering?

"If you nourish yourself with four wholesome nutriments, consuming a healthy diet of edible food and drinks, sensory impressions, intention, and mental formations for your consciousness, then you, along with your loved ones, will benefit in concrete ways that are noticeable in your daily life."

From Savor by Thich Nhat Hanh







Make a commitment. If you are interested in working with your own "purity" here are 2 ideas:

• Choose one toxin in your life-something you feed your senses or your body. Try to eliminate or minimize your consumption of the toxin. Examine how it feels. Do you feel better? Do you feel completely irritated? Neither is right or wrong. Being aware is the key.

• Try a yogic breathing exercise: Kapalabhatti breath (cleaning breath).

Begin seated. Take two normal breaths. Inhale. Now exhale, pulling in your abdomen and use sharp puffs. Repeat twenty times, keeping a steady rhythm and emphasizing the exhalation each time. Then inhale, exhale completely, inhale fully and hold your breath for as long as you comfortably can. Slowly exhale.