Tapas
- Alicia J. Valentyn
- Apr 8, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 9, 2020
Welcoming back as we continue to practice Patañjali’s ancient teachings of the Eight-Limb Path of Yoga.
Tapas in Sanskrit translates to ‘tap’ which means ‘to heat’ or ‘to burn’ or is defined as austerity. Tapas is the Third teaching underneath the Second-Limb or Niyama.
If your wondering how you could sprinkle in the teachings of Tapas, into your modern day life, there are many ways. Allow me to share with you one way that I intertwined Tapas by way of an excerpt from my self published book, dYnO’s DaNcE -on the Eight-Limb Path.
Introduction from dYnO’s DaNcE - on the Eight-Limb Path.
In 2015, I was immersed in a 125-day meditation. For this series of morning meditations I wanted to do what felt good for my physical body, so I chose to get a little creative by moving my meditation outside. I consistently meditated in a similar way: in the backyard barefoot, walking clockwise underneath the mesquite trees, chanting the single syllable sound of RAM, with our two dogs, Gus and Cindy, close by. I would begin with a slow deep breath and whisper the chant so as not to wake the neighbors or my husband, Bob. I would be sure to chant the sound of RAM 108 times.
On some mornings, I’d add in a little bit more creativity by reaching my arms skyward on every tenth breath and slowing the sound of R A M. Or, I’d walk counter-clockwise until reaching the number 54, the halfway mark, then turn back around for the remainder of the moving meditation.
I began to notice that after about one month into this moving meditation, objects in my immediate surroundings became more vivid. My inner voice told me to pause, listen, and receive a message from my Spirit. Objects such as roots, rocks, trees, birds, nests, flowers, clouds, and the moon appeared to come to life with their own story.
Then one morning, during my moving meditation, I noticed the full moon as if it were speaking directly to me. I believed the moon was telling me that I could take an imagination journey and be the pilot of a Moon Ship. I realized that I had been impacted, in a special way, by the act of immersing myself in the morning outdoor meditation.
I asked my Spirit for clarity and guidance on whether I needed to write down the vision that I had just experienced regarding the Moon Ship. The answer I got was an unmistakable, ‘Yes!’ Thus, without completely understanding why or what I was going to write down, I just started writing.
That same day I drove to a mountain range, within the city of Phoenix, Arizona, where I had hiked a rugged urban trail for more than thirty years. But on this day, as I moved along on a solo hike, my Spirit guided me to stop in my tracks and listen. This was a pivotal turning point for me because I realized, more than ever, that I feel my best while I am outside moving along on Mother Earth. Outside amongst the elements, I am closer to my True Self or True Nature. It is there that I easily connect to my Spirit. My creative juices were flowing with this realization.
I believed my purpose at this point was to recognize when, or if, my surroundings would magically come to life. As I imagined the hiking trail coming to life, I envisioned that I was dancing upon a dinosaur's back. This was an ancient dinosaur, with yin and yang energies, which I named dYnO. Feeling like a child, skipping along the trail, as I let my imagination go wild. I felt alive as I recognized that I would record this moment in the story of dYnO’s DaNcE.
To me it was obvious that I was receiving gifts, from my Spirit, during the days of the moving meditation. Now I felt that I had a responsibility to share these gifts with others through the story of dYnO’s DaNcE.
But how exactly will I share these gifts besides through telling my story?
Then I recalled the Eight Limb Path of Yoga. These ancient teachings, first taught by a sage named Patañjali, prior to 400 CE, were the foundation of my Yoga Teacher Training program. The Eight Limbs are teachings that I strive to practice each day.
That’s it! I will intertwine the ancient teachings, of the Eight Limb Path of Yoga, into the imagination story of dYnO’s DaNcE.
I don’t profess to be a sage on the ancient teachings of yoga, but instead, I desire to be a lifelong student. My yoga teachers taught me that ‘yoga is a practice.’ When I practice just one of the Eight-Limbs, I find myself enjoying a terrific moment. However it’s when my Spirit guides me to experience all of the Eight-Limbs at once that I feel moments of pure bliss.
My wish for you is that these wise teachings make their way into your life, as well.
My Sadhana (spiritual practice) of the 125-day meditation was transformative in many ways. It taught me that when I desire to transform a part of my life I need to ‘Practice.’ To do this I ask my Spirit to help me hear a clear intention. This intention keeps me on a daily Divine pathway. My pathway to inner peace.
Stay Tuned for more excerpts from dYnO’s DaNcE - on the Eight-Limb Path.
*Photo* - I took this photo as a reminder that when I see the image of the Solar Plexus (Manipura) Chakra I am brought back to my transformative days (125-days to be exact) of chanting the bija (single syllable sound) mantra of R A M.
Resources (online) for this Tapas blog,
Be a Flower,
Share your Beauty.
Namaste.
Alicia Valentyn
Healing Motion 123 (Facebook)
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