I think for all of us, there is a desire to live with purpose, to have direction, and to have the discipline to keep moving in that direction.

This week I want to share the yogic practice of TAPAS (discipline or zeal).

“Living life w/ zeal and sincerity, the purifying flame is ignited, revealing inner light”

–Devi, The Secret Power of Yoga, p205

Tapas is strongly connected to self-study in that to have one, you need the other. Purpose comes from self-awareness and self awareness requires you have the discipline to study yourself again and again.

Tapas is at it’s heart the practice of PRACTICE…meaning that you may have the intention of creating a healthy habit, but TAPAS is the way you bring that healthy habit into your life. You get on your yoga mat once, that’s great. But getting on your yoga mat 3 times a week for a year? That’s a practice. TAPAS is literally the process of changing a chore into a habit. You brush your teeth everyday and don’t complain about it because it feels weird when you don’t. That’s TAPAS.

When you start to dig into the practice of PRACTICE, you start to notice how your thoughts are reflected in your words, which are reflected in your deeds. That’s how change happens. You think about it first. Then you talk about it, you journal or you share with friends or you commit to a challenge. Lastly, you start to employ actions. You go to the gym, you turn on the YouTube channel, you prep your meals on Sundays, whatever the habit is you want in your life.

And sometimes we fall off our healthy habit. And that starts with our thoughts too. “It’s too cold to go to the gym today.” or “There’s a party at work this week, so I’ll just skip making my lunches.” Then it feels like such a chore to get back in practice, sometimes we just can’t get over that obstacle of starting again.

TAPAS is a great reminder that each and every day we begin anew. So if you’ve gotten away from some habit that you know is good for you but you can’t seem to get back into, try using the idea that each day is brand new. You can start TODAY. Not Monday, not the first of the month, right now. Just count to three and then do it. And if you fail, so what? Tomorrow is a new day.

THIS WEEK IN THE STUDIO

Tuesday: Vinyasa Flow @ 2:30PST/4:30CST

Wednesday: Restorative Yoga @ 2:30PST/4:30CST

Thursday: Chair Yoga @ 2:30PST/4:30CST

Friday: FREE Community Stress Release @ 2:30PST/4:30CST

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NEW VIDEO ON DEMAND

This week’s new video is a replay of this month’s CHAIR class.

The 60-minute practice was designed to focus on SAUCA, or Simple Refinement. We use a chair to help bring focus to breath and movement in a way that is challenging and supportive at the same time. Whether you have limited mobility or if limited space, for this practice all you need is a chair and some space behind it. By the end, you will feel stronger, calmer, and more balanced.

Check it by CLICKING HERE

FREE ON YOUTUBE

This week we use mindful stillness in Yin Yoga for Winter . Yin yoga’s connection to ancient Chinese medicine is explored here by focusing gently on the kidney and bladder meridians to aid in digestion and elimination, processes that can be sluggish in the winter months. Holding poses for a longer period of time to encourage compression and release, yin yoga is best practiced when the body is “cold.” So try this video in the morning when you first wake up or after a long day of sitting in stillness, like at a desk or in the car.

BEHIND THE SCENES

For me, TAPAS is linked to my core. The Manipura chakra is the energy center for willpower, so whenever I want to feel that ZEAL, I do some plank poses, and some core conditioning. I have a timer on my watch set for 3 minutes, and that’s all I do. Then I spend another 3 minutes writing about what it is I want to practice and what the very next step is. With ADHD, habits and discipline is a real challenge for me. But this is a system that works for now. The beautiful thing is, I know that if it doesn’t work anymore, I can always change it.

That’s it from me! I truly hope your week is full of ease, peace, and love.

From my heart to yours,

–Viviane Wolfe

www.vivianewolfeyoga.com

500RYT, yoga-therapist-in-training