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Igniting your tapas

6/30/2019

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An article I wrote for Yoga Magazine UK August 2018 - see below for the easier transcript!
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​Tapas – Igniting the power of your yoga practise by Khadine Morcom
 
You may be familiar with the word tapas in yoga, not as a Spanish small plate of food but as one of the niyamas (the 5 personal observances) of the aṣṭāṅga (8 limbed) path of Patañjali’s yoga.  Tapas is the 3rd of the niyamas in this system; it’s meaning is often translated as austerity and along with the last two of the niyamas; svādhyāya - self-study and īśvara praṇidhāna – applying oneself to pure consciousness, form Patanjali’s instruction into kriya yoga.  Kriya, meaning action, performance and sacrifice to name but a few of the translations gives us a clue into what tapas means and how we can use tapas to enhance our experience of yoga and truly experience yoga as a means to freedom.
The root of the Sanskrit word tapas is “tap” which mean to heat, to shine, to give out warmth or to burn.  We could view this on a basic and extremely limited level of getting hot and sweaty from a yoga class or if we look at the history of tapas, the purpose of the practises of tapas and the evolution of these practises we can have a deeper more authentic relationship with this niyama that is truly transformative for our yoga development on all levels of our experience.
 
The earliest references we will find to tapas lie in the Vedas (the oldest texts of the Sanskrit language as religious scriptures) which date back possibly as far as 1700BCE.  The Rig Veda / ṛgveda describes tapas as the heat generated through particular ritual activity as a heat produced by the priest in sacrificial ceremony and also describes tapas as physical mortification of the body by tapasvins (ascetic yogins).  Around a similar time of the Vedic era (pre-Buddhist) was the Śramaṇa movement of ascetic yogins who practicing similar austerities to those of the Vedic yogins were influenced to practise for a different purpose.  The primary purpose in the Vedic tradition at this time was to win boons from the gods (make life good!) and in the Sramana tradition these practices were used for liberation (moksha) of the self through the stilling of the mind and the annihilation of past karma (action that leaves the residue of consequence in the cycle of saṃsāra).  Even the Buddha spent time as a practicing ascetic before finding his middle way to enlightenment.  Tapas evolved from these earliest roots to become a term used for meditation, discipline and purification which was emphasised by Patanjali in his kriya yoga system to free us from the patterns of habituation (samskara and vāsanā) and the sway of the elements of nature (guṇas) so we can achieve a state that is undisturbed by dualities and experience the liberation of identification with the puruṣa (the universal principle of consciousness).  So, let us now fast forward to a modern yoga practise and how we can take the wisdom and discipline from the tradition into a modern context of yoga in the 21st century. 
If we explore the Sanskrit translations of the word tapas we can begin to gather a practical means of bringing this observance into a very useful tool to get us on the mat and bring a consistency and commitment to our practice that may at times need a little nudge!
 
Heat, austerity, discipline, enthusiasm, commitment, deep concentration or meditation combined together start to point us in a particular direction, that of establishing ourselves in a dedicated yoga practise.  It is a going beyond a dipping in to an occasional class but moving us into a commitment to practice that is unshakable and holds real power.  On some level we all have a level of tapas, that which brings us into a yoga class or onto our mat in the first place so if that tapas isn’t quite burning as brightly as you would like then how can we stoke that inner fire?  Perhaps we can start with the earliest incarnations of tapas as a heat generated by ritual.  We may decide to ritualise our yoga practice, clearing space, having a dedicated area, time, intention, perhaps lighting candles, incense and an offering of ourselves into the fire of the practise by allowing the practice to come from a deep interconnection with our inner experience of sensation, feeling and energy rather than an externally facing experience of thought, striving, grasping or simply going through the motions because we know it’s good for us on some level!  Yes, it may be that we do receive a ‘boon’ of health, wellbeing, calmness and clarity that might make those early Vedic priests envious but our intention may be more aligned with the early Sramana practitioners looking for freedom.  Perhaps we might explore ways of stoking the fire with new practices.  Pranayama (yogic breathing techniques) is often associated with tapas as a means to stimulate the internal flow of prana and we know that meditation is also one of the definitions of tapas so it may be that by widening your areas of practice that more enthusiasm comes, more freedom from conditioning arises and the fire of tapas starts to be fuelled without the need of effort.  We all however have those days where effort is required to get us on the mat so we may remind ourselves of how we feel following a practice and that actually the effort of getting ourselves onto a yoga mat for an hour is nothing compared to the effort and commit that was required of those ascetic yogins who chose to stand on one leg for 12 years as their tapas practise! 
 
Perhaps we can become inspired by a yoga text or simply an inspiring spiritual or self-help type text.  The Taittirīya Upaniṣad of the 6th Century states tapas as a recitation and studying of the Vedas and is clear that is cannot be achieved by ascetism alone.  Likewise, we may struggle to move our practical, physical-based yoga practise into a spiritual discipline and development tool without some added inspiration from ancient knowledge such as Patanjali’s yoga sutra or other texts that have influenced modern day yoga such as hatha yoga texts, Upanishads, tantras and commentaries and interpretations of these traditions or perhaps we can find inspiration from modern day insights from spiritual teachers such as the ever-popular Eckhart Tolle.  Bringing our yoga into more of a holistic practise to include different aspects of our being (physical, intellectual, emotional, energetic) allows yoga to be experienced on and off the mat and it starts to become more of a way of life than simply an exercise class and again this adds fuel to the fire so tapas comes by itself. 
 
We can explore tapas in the context of the niyamas of Patanjali and feeling the support of the surrounding niyamas it may be that this practise clicks into place.  The first niyama of śauca, meaning purity or cleanliness refers to an inner and outer purification of body and mind.  The second niyama or saṃtoṣa refers to a contentment (in other words no need to strive beyond this moment, we can find peace here and now) and the last two niyamas of svādhyāya and īśvara praṇidhāna we know as self-study which we may interpret as studying texts or the deeper intimacy of the exploration to move towards our centre and the surrender or applying ourselves to pure consciousness.  All of these practises together form a real basis we can work with to experience essence nature and the awakened awareness of integration or yoga.
 
 
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Is Yoga a tool of psycho-self development?

10/4/2018

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My latest article in Yoga Magazine UK September 2018
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Working with the chakras....

7/9/2018

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please click here to read my article for Yoga Magazine August 2017
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Thinking of being a yoga teacher....

7/9/2018

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Please click here to read my article for Yoga Magazine April 2018
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Developing a home practise article

7/9/2018

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Please click here to read my developing a home practise article for Yoga Magazine July 2018
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The joy of savasana...

7/9/2018

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Click here to read my article for Yoga Magazine May 2018 
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Parallel postures...

2/16/2018

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Parallel postures...... many of the shapes we create in #yoga get repeated again and again. A shape in one plane can light up an awakening of the same shape on another plane. There is a constant play of the relationship between, shape, #gravity, #balance, conditioning, familiarity, #spontaneity and #freedom that we play with in our #asana practice. That’s what makes it so damn interesting! Ultimately the shape is a minor relevance to our surrender to the whole so don’t get attached and cling to that shape or posture goal and let yourself merge with the experience of the infinite and then the #yogamagic happens 💖✨🙏🏻
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Benefits of bharadvajasana

9/21/2017

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Bharadvājāsana II is a seated twist asana. Twists are beneficial on many levels; increasing mobility of the spine, stretching and strengthening back muscles, stimulating internal organs, assisting digestion, stimulating samana vayu (an internal pranic flow) and of course leading us to integration! The benefits to the spine are obvious. We mostly on a day to day level forwardly flex the spine in bending over actions so twists give us an opportunity to explore another range of movement of the spine and bring a well needed stretch to back muscles such as the quadratus lumborum and latissimus dorsi amongst others. The internal organs of the abdomen are stimulated through compression which leads to increased blood flow on release (and the liver particularly benefits from this as a holder of 25% of our blood in the body with over 500 functions identified!). The compression and stretch alternately through the abdominal region stimulates digestion in much the same way as stronger practices like uddiyana bandha and nauli do. Samana vayu (one of the 5 directional pranic flows in the body) is strongly associated with digestion (both food and life experiences) and is considered to be a focussing energy, which is apparent in these postures in their ability to take us to a deep state of absorption, which also leads me to my final point of moving us towards integration. Ultimately we use any type of yoga posture for greater awareness of that which is real and continuous, which we can call consciousness, ground of being, essence nature, awareness itself, Brahman, Siva or even god if you dare! Whatever your motivation for practicing yoga however, let it absorb you in the practice and you will receive a clarity and calmness (and even joyfulness) that only comes from a merging of ourself with present moment awareness which can't be bad! 
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Mudras in a modern day Yoga Practice

8/6/2017

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This is an article I wrote for Yoga Magazine which appeared in the July 2017 edition.  Hope you like it!
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recent feedback from retreats in Aug 2013 and Jan 2014

4/24/2017

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I'm still feeling the benefit of the retreat. I have been practicing yoga more regularly & with greater awareness. So that is incredibly positive.  Thanks again for a wonderful weekend, - AP

I have also been meaning to drop an email anyway to say how wonderful, challenging, and transformative the Florence weekend was. Thanks so much for creating such a great space to come back to myself and set new and better patterns in motion in my life. I can't say every day is exactly zen (!) but I feel the mindfulness practice in particular that we did, has reminded me of / strengthened my "anchor" inside. - EH




I was wanting to email you anyway to say a huge THANK YOU for another fantastic weekend, it really was blissful. I arrived with earache, headache, period pain and it all faded away during the weekend, and I felt incredibly nourished.  I enjoyed it even more than last year……. of all those incredible deep and wonderful restorative/yin postures...they are so fantastic. It came just at the right time, ….I've been coping much better than I normally would and I'm sure its partly down to the lovely weekend I had.  The weather was perfect too this year...I feel very blessed to have been part of such a lovely gathering of beautiful women with you leading us all:-) - NC

I can't believe it is a week ago since our great yoga weekend! We just wanted to thank you for a lovely and relaxing weekend! P and I really enjoyed it. I know that P has done similar weekends before but it was my first time. I loved it and I will be definitely coming again- if I can make it :-) - NC

Just to say how wonderful the weekend was, a perfect mixture of established favourites (yurt mantra, yoga sleep, walking meditation) and new ideas associated with those favourites.  I arrived home perfectly restored and ready for the real world. I’m also now using my neti every morning – fantastic!. Thank you dear Khadine :o) – JY

I just wanted to thank you again for the most amazing weekend, I was chatting to J today and we both felt that it was one of the best times we have ever had, with the combination of the beautiful surroundings, wonderful yoga and delicious cakes! I feel really privileged to have been there, you are such an inspiring teacher and I came home feeling totally relaxed and rejuvenated.  I am doing my best to carry what I have experienced with me and be mindful and peaceful as I go back to everyday life! - ZG

I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you again as well as your students for making me feel welcome at the retreat back in August, and you would be pleased to know that all me work colleagues and customers alike have noticed a massive change in my character in that I am now much calmer and more resilient than before.  I now practice the meditation you taught me every day including chanting some of the Sanskrit mantras, and the candle flame concentration exercise was amazing. - CK 

Imt by way of feedback on the retreat, I absolutely loved it. The teaching, venue, food, timetable etc were all great. - LS



10 Commentstestimonials8/18/2012
25 Comments

 
As my next retreat is coming up in Florence House in January 2013 I thought it was about time I add 

Thanks again for such an amazing weekend, i haven't stopped chattering about how brilliant it was. You should be a government advisor tell them to stop wasting our millions on the happiness report and divert the funds into yoga sessions for all. It was my first yoga retreat and I did feel slightly anxious when we arrived on Friday night. Those feelings were very short lived as you certainly managed to make us feel very relaxed. Khadine, you certainly have a special gift, some people learn yoga and teach it, for you however, it comes from within, your passion and knowledge radiates out from you and warmly touches those that you teach. Florence house was a superb location, great food, terrific yoga space, particularly loved being bathed by the morning light during our sunrise yoga sessions! It was a great experience and lovely to share it with some lovely like minded people too.  I came back feeling calmer, more balanced and restored and made some new friends too! - Aideen S
 
Just to say a big thank you for the most relaxing weekend I think I've had since having children, if not ever! And am still feeling rather chilled two days into the week and that's with a poorly little boy at home with me demanding my attention. Definitely have to keep the yoga up now - must, must remember how good it makes me feel. - Jay C
 
Heartfelt thanks khadine and all who joined in the wonderful retreat at Florence house. I arrived stressed and unsteady and left feeling restored, grounded and alot more connected to the present moment. I also made some new friends along the way...Loved the yurt, the food and the combination of yoga, mantra, walking and meditation. A very lovely weekend. Thanks again - Kelly C.
 
I just wanted to say that the weekend was wonderful - an ideal combination of poses, meditation and chanting that absolutely improved and enhanced my practice both while at class and at home.  It was truely a life changing experience for me and for Laurence. - Jackie Y

25 CommentsPost Title.1/17/2012
5 Comments

 
Just back from teaching a weekend retreat at the beautiful Florence House in Seaford (www.florencehouse.co.uk) where we were totally spoilt by our hosts Steve and Mairin with lovely food and accomodation and of course we had a glorious 16 hours or so of yoga  and meditation (in various guises!).  Meditation in the yurt was amazing even the meditation after the bizarrely self-igniting candle holder almost set fire to the yurt much to everyones horror and amusement but there is nothing like a disaster to really bring a group together!  We had a beautiful spacous yoga room with views of the downs and the sun from sun-rise to sunset - uplifting, inspiring and grounding.   The walking meditation was a particular hit in the lovely gardens with the ruggedness of the downs and cliffs of Seaford Head.  Watch this space for the news of the next retreat.  Om shanti x 

5 CommentsDefinitions of Om or AUM8/25/2011
7 Comments

 
Om or AUM....

Everything, vibrational sound of the universe, universal consciousness


"Om is not just a sound or vibration. It is not just a symbol. It is the entire cosmos, whatever we can see, touch, hear and feel. Moreover, it is all that is within our perception and all that is beyond our perception. It is the core of our very existence. If you think of Om only as a sound, a technique or a symbol of the Divine, you will miss it altogether. ..... Om is the mysterious cosmic energy that is the substratum of all the things and all the beings of the entire universe. It is an eternal song of the Divine. It is continuously resounding in silence on the background of everything that exists" – Amrit Ray .

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