What will today bring to you, blessings or grief? We walk through the day never knowing what will come to us in each moment. Do you trust the process? This is what Tapas is. Tapas actually translates to Heat, it is also said to mean self-discipline. It creates a challenge in our inner most environment.
Patanjali wrote Kayendriya siddhirasuddhiksayat tapasah. Sri Swami Satchidananda translates this to By austerity, impurities of body and senses are destroyed and occult power is gained.
What this means is by tapas we can burn away the outer shell and dive deeper into our inner being, our soul, gaining the power to stop exposure to impurities.
Embracing tapas burns away the impurities. It allows us to accept suffering. We have no clue what will come in each moment and some moments may bring suffering. Part of tapas is to accept that and trust the process of our journey. We must be willing to be blessed and burned. For that is how we grow.
Always choosing growth teaches us to keep going, to remain determined and to remain committed. You find perseverance embedded in Tapas. Those who do not give up and those who trust the journey they walk will persevere. Accepting where life takes you and trusting in each stepping stone brings forth true happiness.
I challenge you to explore Tapas! Dive in deeper, check out Debra Adele’s book Yamas & Niyamas
XO
Katie Bell