Cleanse Journal Day 18

Yogic principle for the day: the external discipline of PASSIONATE EFFORT.

What does this principle mean to me?

See notes from Cleanse Day 8.

Tapas is discipline, described as a heat or passionate effort, that releases or redirects energy and fuels spiritual passion or heat. Tapas manifests as a movement away from past dysfunctional attachments and habits and a movement toward freedom.

Tapas is an effortless release, a giving up, a surrendering (as in vairagya and ishvara pranidhana), an offering up of the old in exchange for the new. It is a free choice that manifests naturally and spontaneously without will power or effort. It was demonstrated to me the evening that I lost my interest in drinking red wine. Inexplicably and spontaneously, I realized that I did not need to drink red wine. Lovely as the experience felt, I realized that drinking a glass of red wine every night took something undefinable away from me. The whole release occurred spontaneously, in a thought, without words . My “craving” just disappeared. And I just followed with some curiosity, placed the sacrifice into the sacrificial fire for fuel, and watched the experiment to see what would happen.

From the outside the release often looks like austerity or sacrifice. My family and friends commented that my renunciation of wine was "too hard" for them to do. For me it wasn't hard at all; it was the natural flow of my impulses. From the inside, a part of me freely died and another was reborn.

How do I honour it on a daily basis? What could I improve?
Harness tapas by the conscious practice of energy conservation (pratyhara, vairagya, bhakti and tapas) one pointed focus and devotion to the Divine. Wholeheartedly desire to know the Truth of Self.

Any action that frees one from the dualistic illusion is tapas. Any action that redirects the outward flow of grasping of objects (physical or mental) is tapas. Any action that supports satisfaction (santosha) is tapas. Activities could include fasting, silence of speech and thought (mouna), and any and all of the other yamas and niyamas.

Before taking action, ask such questions as: will this activity lead to the truth? Is this action based on separateness or is it based on love? Will this action release energy or dissipate, confuse, distract, or disempower?

Daily food/elimination comments:
Losing interest in food. I am satisfied with eating much less.

Sleep record:
I was not tired Monday night, yet slept about 10 hours.

Additional thoughts or feelings:
This is easy. I continue to be generally quiet, at peace and optimistic about the future.