The niyamas series - Tapas
How do you handle stress? Some people seem to thrive on pressure, others feel like they are crumbling. I’ve always thought of stress as a negative thing, so what I found interesting during my yoga teacher training was the concept of eustress, or positive stress, that gives us the impetus to act. What we think of as stress is the gap that manifests when the pressure someone is under is greater than the capacity they think they have to deal with it. In short, if you are under pressure but know what you need to do and can do it, it’s eustress. If you don’t know what to do, or don’t have enough energy, then it tips into stress and that’s when we can see negative effects.
Tapas, the third niyama is about how we handle stress and finding transformation through difficult times. Tapas is heat. It’s the heat that ‘cooks’ things to allow transformation or digestion. And it’s also the catharsis that comes with burning something or starting anew.
Now tapas doesn’t mean we should be getting to a point where we burn all our bridges and start afresh, it’s about finding self-discipline and being able to clear the mind. Think for a moment how you feel holding warrior II for example, better still, come into warrior II and hold. Keep holding, keep holding… How are you feeling? Warm? Slightly uncomfortable? Desperate to move? Mind racing? Keep holding… And release.
Patanjali talks of burning the “dross of imperfection” to calm the mind and bring strength. So Tapas, and how we deal with stress and our imperfections can help us build character and strength if we cultivate self-discipline.
What do you learn about yourself during periods of stress? How do you behave? Do you drop the things you know help when you need them the most? I know when I start thinking I don’t have the time or the energy to go to class then something is out of kilter. And invariably if I push through that, I know I’ll feel better and more able to cope after going to the class.
Sometimes making time for yoga, for meditation, at busy stressful times is easier said than done. That’s why it’s self-discipline. And it’s these times that we need to remember we need it the most. That way we can use tapas to burn the stress and help us transform.
More information:
Deborah Adele (2009), The Yamas and Niyamas, Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice
Rachel Bonkirk (2020), Flex your mind, 10 powerful Yoga principles for less stress in a busy world.