Tapas is the exploration of self-discipline and using the challenges that we face to grow and gain wisdom about the world and our place in it.
The Fire
If you looked at a literal translation of the word Tapas, you would find that it means “heat”. In the case of the Niyamas, Tapas is the practice of using challenges to transform ourselves.
In the book The Yamas & Niyamas by Deborah Adele, she says, “Tapas is the willingness to be both burned and blessed.” Adele also uses the example of farmers burning their land in order to grow new and more vibrant produce. In this way, that is what Tapas is calling for us to do. When the fires of life begin to burn at everything you know, can you use that to then grow stronger than you were before?
In Physical Practice
If you’re here on this blog, it’s likely you’ve experienced or are interested in experiencing the self-discipline of a physical yoga practice. Your physical practice includes Tapas every single time. You will be asked to listen to your needs and push yourself through challenging poses to grow in your strength. You may also find that what you need in class is to give your body a break, in which case you will be facing the challenge of letting go of expectations and pressures to grow in wisdom of yourself and your needs. Both of these are Tapas, both of these instances bring about burning away your mental and physical barriers to result in a stronger you at the end.
Off The Mat
The beauty of implementing Tapas on your yoga mat is that it can be a precursor for how to practice it off your mat. You may find that you were stronger than you thought when in a heated power class, and then later that day you may find that you were even stronger when faced with adversity. Tapas off the mat looks like seeking strength in all the hard moments. It doesn’t mean belittling that what you’re experiencing is difficult, but instead recognizing that you’ve been “burned” and transforming that experience to make yourself “blessed”.
Let’s say you’ve lost your job and are now struggling with the change and hardship that presents. In this fire, you can sulk and complain and you would have every right to and maybe you need that for a time. But when that time has passed, Tapas calls for more from you so that you can get more from yourself as well. In this instance, you could use the time to learn a new skill or interview for positions even better than the one you were in. Or maybe you can ease yourself into a practice of humility during this time and open yourself up to the support of those who love you.
Every person has gone through hardships or traumatic encounters. Time doesn’t stop in those moments, which means every time those moments will end and where you are on the other side of the experience is determined by your ability to treat it as an opportunity. Maybe an opportunity to learn empathy for others, love more fully, grow in your skillset, or whatever it may look like for you.
We are rooting for you and if you’d like more insight into the topic of Tapas, you can find insight in the book linked above as well as this post here.
Intend to Shine,
The NuPower Tribe