Sankalpa Shakti, Day 9

My cool new juicer arrived two days ago and it is changing my mind already!!!

The five yamas are meant to be restraints; i.e. I DON'T do something. The niyamas are sort of the opposite; I DO something. The difference is quite strong. And yet there is interesting overlap and I'm finding I can use both, to a degree, whether I'm working on a yama or niyama.

Shoucha (purity). My commitment was stated as "I will not ingest anything impure." That is a negative statement and in effect turning the niyama into a yama. There is a quality of restraint in the practice to be sure. But as I began drinking my freshly made, pure juice blends, I made the mental shift from "not ingesting anything impure" to "ingesting purity". Profound and empowering mental difference. It feels like power (shakti) on a base of discipline.

This is also in turn affecting my thinking on the Ahimsa and Satya commitments, especially Ahimsa. There is a big difference between not speaking anything negative and speaking positive. It is especially noticable with something such as sarcasm. After I join in a communal conversation with a contribution of humorous sarcasm, I feel a bit dirty and think, "Why couldn't I say something positive instead?". Well ... I can! I am going to bring an element of niyama into my yama practice of Ahimsa. I'm going to utilize the power of positivity to restrain the negativity.

This is certainly consistent with the suggested approach for dealing with the kleshas; when seeking to eliminate something (negativity, impurity, etc.), begin by cultivating its opposite (positivity, purity, etc). (Yoga sutra II:33)

Who knew juicing could be so powerful.