Shining Simplicity

THE ART OF REMOVING AND CREATING HABITS.

- DAAJI

DAAJI continues his series on refining habits, in the light of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga and current scientific and yogic principles and practices. Last month, he explored the second Niyama of contentment, Santosh. This month he shares his insights on the next Niyama, known as tapas, which is often translated as austerity, but which has a much more interesting and exhilarating meaning. Simplicity is the final achievement. —Frédéric Chopin

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. —Leonardo da Vinci

Kriya Yoga – externalization

Let’s do a brief review of where we have traveled so far in refining our habits in the light of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga. First, we explored the five Yamas – the giving up of unhelpful habits, including violence and aggression, falsity, hypocrisy and multiple personas, dishonesty, the pull of the senses toward unregulated desires, possessiveness, and greed. Next, we have explored the first two Niyamas – the filling of helpful qualities in the heart – purity and contentment. We have also seen how each successive habit has followed naturally from the previous one. They build upon each other in a cyclical way, like a positive feedback loop, creating a web of character changes that forms a firm foundation for our evolution.

Patanjali considers the remaining three Niyamas to be even more closely interrelated. They are tapas (austerity), swadhyaya (self-study), and Ishwar