Tapas - Austerity

The third niyama is tapas, or austerity.  I looked up austere in the dictionary and found one definition that I felt represented tapas most accurately - rigorously self-disciplined. In his book, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, B.K.S. Iyengar gives a beautiful description of tapas:

"Ahimsa [non-violence] cannot be properly understood without reference to tapas. Tapas is the inner himsa (violence) by which we create the possibility of outer ahimsa. Ahimsa cannot exist alone. A complementary force must necessarily exist. Mahatma Gandhi would never have been able to summon up the implacable peacefulness which moved an empire, without his ruthless attitude towards his own self. Violence is perhaps too strong a word for tapas, but it is a burning inner zeal and austerity, a sort of unflagging hardness of attitude towards oneself which makes possible compassion and forgiveness towards others."

Earlier, I discussed the application of ahimsa to oneself. Iyengar's words thus present an interesting question: how do we balance self-discipline with self-ahimsa?  I believe forgiveness is a major factor to finding that balance. As we can all see, it's been 11 days since my last post.  I had intended to write a blog daily, but here we are - hello lack of self-discipline. But I am writing now, and the present is the only place I can exist. I am not hung up on the fact that I took a mini-hiatus from writing. I am forgiven. This mindset will allow me to carry on, unaffected by the past and unconcerned with the future.

Everyone knows how to be self-disciplined. My challenge to you today is to let go of the times you slipped up and start anew each day with a sense of determination to live each moment as it comes. I think that after you stop beating yourself up over mistakes you will find it much easier to stick to your goals and remain on your right path.