Week 1: Energetic Hygiene
Indian Yogic philosophy talks about three qualities or types of energy, which they call the three gunas.
Tamas (tamasic energy) is the darkest, heaviest energy. It is the energy of lethargy and of thought.
Rajas (rajasic energy) is the energy of life, movement, and activity
Satva (satvic energy) is the energy of beingness and peace.
Cold Showers
By immersing yourself in cold water you can clear a lot of surface tamasic energy. Ice baths, swimming in the ocean, and cold showers all allow for this clearing.
You can replace a pile of spiritual books by having three cold showers a day
– Rohan
It is especially important to have a cold shower after waking up from sleep, as the energy body opens up in sleep allowing tamasic energy to come to the surface.
Ventilation
Another method of clearing tamasic energy is to have constant ventilation. Rather than the tamasic energy building up and remaining, the flow of air will help to carry it away, allowing it to pass.
This method is powerful in that it allows for small but constant clearing over long periods of time.
Try using this practice by:
Driving with the windows cracked
Always having a window cracked while sleeping or inside
Choosing outside locations instead of inside in daily life where possible.
Energy Hygiene in other traditions:
The purifying effect of cold water are also well known through many other spiritual traditions:
In India you would purify yourself in cold water before entering a temple.
The Shinto religion in Japan have the practice of "Misogi", sitting in streams or waterfalls to cleanse impurities.
Sikh masters also taught the value of "ishnaan" as part of their daily practice of Sikh Dharma.
Sikhs believe that when you take a cold shower in the morning, it is like the first battle of the day. Shouting “Wahe Guru!” when you are shivering, is your battle cry; and when you come out victorious you are ready to face any challenge, come what may.
The effects of ventilation are also commonly known, as:
Traditional Chinese medicine and Feng Shui talk about stagnant air blocking the flow of qi, leading to illness
Native American traditions would use smudging to clear negative energy, letting the wind carry it away
