Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra offered guidelines for practices that lead to enlightenment. Of these Eight Limbs, the second Limb ‘Niyama’ deals with individual conduct. Of the 5 Niyama’s, Tapas coming from the Sanskrit verb ’tap’ means ’to burn, to heat, or to cleanse.’ The Yoga Sutra suggests that when Tapas is in action, the heat it generates will burn away impurities and kindle the sparks of divinity within.

Tapas is the willingness to persevere with enthusiasm and can be applied to anything we wish whether that is our asana or meditation practice, eating healthful foods, or cultivating habits that enhance our life. In Asana, Tapas leads us to challenge ourselves in poses we find difficult. In Meditation it teaches us to sit through a restless mind. In our diet it encourages us to eat simple foods that nourish our body. When we are having a tough time Tapas means staying centered in faith and not losing our way.

Tapas is present when we refrain from repeating a negative habit like reaching for comfort food in times of stress and instead stay present and breathe through the situation. Tapas helps to replace these negative Samskaras (habits) with positive ones.

Try to develop Tapas by committing to daily practice in some way, whether that is setting your alarm 10 minutes earlier every morning to start your day with a simple asana practice, cutting out sugar from your diet, or maybe sitting in contemplation for 5 minutes before you go to bed at night. Before you know it your life will be full of positive samskaras that help you well on your way to peaceful living.