Torrid Summer
Happy hot, hot summer everyone. As the Sun bares down hard on us here in the Northern hemisphere, it’s becoming essential to remember all of the things that help us stay cool in our bodies and in our lives. One of my teachers recently said in her class that meeting heat with intensity will only increase heat. This is a good reminder for when we’re trying to take care of ourselves during these torrid summer months.
When enough heat is brought into a situation or thing, it has the potential to create change or spur productivity and abundance. Heat, of course, may also induce agitation, discomfort, and pain if there is too much of it involved. To understand this a little better, we might imagine heat on a spectrum. There is a “sweet spot” where heat prompts ambition, progress, and evolution; on either side of that “sweet spot” is either stagnation (no heat), or burnout (too much heat). By this model we can conclude that when change is necessary - heat is helpful. At some point, however, that same heat begets agitation, or eventually obliteration.
In yoga philosophy this radiance is referred to as tapas, which translates directly to “heat” or “glow.” Tapas is one of the five Niyamas, or observances, in the 8-limb system of Patanjali’s yoga sutras. Tapas is stoked by agni - the fire which is the source of such heat. While agni is the flame, tapas is the energy produced by the flame. This energy results in the action, friction, and discipline required for transformation to occur. Ayurvedically speaking, agni refers to ones’ digestive fire. This “fire” is what we use to break down and assimilate the consumption of experiences and food to maintain a healthy sense of ego and physicality. In the subtle body, agni lives in the solar plexus, the same place as Manipura Chakra. In yoga philosophy, healthy tapas energy gives one a sense of self and individuality, in addition to driving passion, curiosity, and motivation in life.
Since agitation and discomfort usually come along with transformation, change, and heat - these are also aspects of tapas. When done so in doses, moving through these uncomfortable feelings of tapas teaches our nervous system endurance and resilience. Additionally, heat and sweat in moderation can kick-start the immune system, helping to keep us healthy and safe from pathogens or environmental invaders. Even though these less pleasant aspects of tapas can be beneficial - when heat turns into pain, agony, or self flagellation, it can be counterproductive, or even dangerous to our health.
Those of you who know me may be thinking by now, “Afton, don’t you teach and love hot yoga?!” The answer to that is: yes, I do! Over the years, however, I’ve come to integrate other, cooler practices into my life and moderate how much heat I’m subjecting myself to when I teach as well as in my own practice. Undoubtedly, hot yoga is a wonderful way to spur change in ones’ life. I’ve seen countless humans incorporate major and minor lifestyle shifts, discipline, endurance, and mind-body connection through a dedicated hot yoga practice. However, while it has its obvious transformational benefits, hot yoga still comes with its pitfalls. I particularly find the sub-contexts which glorify pain, agony, and self flagellation to be disadvantageous and often dangerous to the self. In addition to this, I find that relying solely on heat to do yoga can elicit habit-based practices and induce inattentive behavior.
In other words, while hot yoga may be an extreme and brazenly literal use of the yogic theory of tapas - it can also be beneficial in eliciting change or turbo-boosting progress when approached with the idea that moderation and mindfulness are essential for its effectiveness.
Learning to modulate practices so that they create balance is a fundamental part of yoga. Heat, change, and transformation are all necessary and not to be avoided. Just as needed is to to find space to breathe, cool-down, receive, and rest. Let both be present in your life and in your practice.
In short - be cool, ya’ll. Radiate, don’t obliterate.
