Saucha, The Self Care Niyama

Life transitions are both an exciting and challenging time, whether it’s career growth, moving to a new home, or even changes in a relationship. As our lives flow through change, we naturally adapt to new routines, evolving in new ways. It’s during these growth spurts, self-care is essential. It’s not an indulgence, but rather a set of considerate practices that keep us grounded as we cope with change and new environments.

There is immense joy when the decisions we make lead to the outcomes we desire.  However, with increased responsibility comes new expectations, and it’s easy for our time and energy to be stretched thin. Having established self-care practices reduces the impact of stress and gives us the mental space to enjoy our lives. One important aspect of a yoga-inspired lifestyle is saucha, the "self-care" niyama.

The niyamas form the second limb of the eight-limb path of yoga. These principles govern the behaviors and attitudes we direct toward ourselves and, in turn, toward the world around us. There are five: saucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (discipline), svadhyaya (self-reflection), and ishvara pranidhana (surrender to a higher power).

Saucha refers to cleanliness, but its meaning extends beyond personal hygiene and a clean home. It also encompasses the quality of the food we eat, the air we breathe, how we engage in physical activity, and our overall health and well-being. Practicing saucha means taking care of ourselves—mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Three Ways to Leverage Saucha for Self-Care

Self-care encompasses a wide range of practices and rituals, but it’s important to remember that it’s not about indulgence or luxury. Rather, self-care is about engaging in habits that nurture both your physical and mental well-being. These practices include eating well, staying active, and getting adequate rest. It also involves finding time for enjoyable activities, spending quality time with others, and maintaining a positive attitude. When practiced consistently, these routines offer a host of health benefits, from better physical health to improved mental wellness.(4)(5)

Cultivate saucha with a daily mindfulness moment. 

Research from Harvard highlights the power of mindfulness, showing that just 10 to 15 minutes of mindfulness each day can reduce stress and improve both heart health and mental well-being.(3) Mindful moments can take many forms—whether it’s meditation, a walk in nature, time spent in a garden, or even brewing a cup of tea. Other activities might include putting together a puzzle, engaging in a painting-by-number, or any craft that requires focus. Even a quiet moment spent with a sudoku or crossword puzzle can work wonders.

Whatever the activity, the key is being fully present and aware of what you’re doing. There are 1,440 minutes in a day, and if you subtract the recommended seven hours of sleep, you still have 1,020 minutes of wakeful time. Time slips away quickly, but we should be able to carve out 15 minutes for ourselves. If not, then it may be time to reevaluate and realign our commitments to support our well-being. After all, the number one person we need to set up for success is ourselves.

Practice saucha with a nourishing, balanced diet. 

There are so many opinions about how to eat healthy, what type of diet is the healthiest diet, and on and on. When it comes to seeking food advice, the conversation is noisy with lots of information and points of view. 

Cultivating Chill is a yoga-loving website and we are not nutritionists. We cannot in good conscience support one way of eating over the other or offer nutritional advice. What we will say is this. Choose foods that nourish you, support your energy, and make you feel good. Take note of any foods that cause discomfort and try to minimize them. Rather than following food trends, trust your intuition and focus on how certain foods make you feel.

Aim to eat as many whole foods as possible. While convenience foods can be easy and tempting, they aren’t always the healthiest option. That said, don’t feel guilty for including them in your diet when necessary. It takes time and energy to plan, procure, and prepare food. There are only so many waking minutes in a day, and at least 15 of those minutes are needed to be mindful. It’s okay to save time with a quick snack every now and then.

If you feel you need professional guidance, seek out a registered dietitian, who “are recognized medical professionals.” Registered dietitians are required to complete formal training and education, whereas nutritionists are not. Plus, some states require registered dietitians to be licensed, which adds another layer of oversight. While there are certification programs to be a certified nutritionist, the curriculum and training for the field is not standard nor regulated.(1)(2) 

It’s not that nutritionists are unreliable or uninformed – but there are risks due to the lack of oversight and regulation of the field. And regardless if you seek out a registered dietitian or a nutritionist, you can always fact-check their advice with a quick Google search. 

Breathe deep with saucha to clear away excess stress. 

The revitalizing inhale and cleansing exhale of the breath is the cornerstone to all things yoga. Breathing techniques like box breathing and nadi shodhana activate the body’s relaxation response via the vagus nerve, promoting a balanced sense of well-being. Even something as simple as a 1:2 breathing ratio—where the exhale is twice as long as the inhale—can calm the mind, reduce blood pressure, and improve mental focus. This technique is subtle enough to perform in public without drawing attention: a gentle nasal inhale for a count of 2, followed by an exhale for a count of 4, repeating for several rounds until you begin to feel a sense of calm.

While both meditation and breathwork engage mindfulness, they are distinct practices. Breathwork and pranayama focuses on physical awareness of the breath, while meditation typically focuses on mental clarity. Though the two practices overlap, their intentions and effects are different, with breathwork tending to offer more immediate physical benefits and meditation fostering mental peace.

Concluding Thoughts 

The niyamas provide foundational guidance on how to treat ourselves, particularly as we balance the everyday ebbs and flows of life. Saucha is the ultimate self-care niyama to lean on as our life expands with new purpose and expectations. By incorporating simple daily practices—such as mindfulness, nourishing our bodies with balanced meals, and using breathwork to maintain calm—we can effectively nurture our mental, physical, and energetic well-being. Taking care of ourselves in these ways is not just a luxury, but a necessity for maintaining balance and thriving as we evolve, in all aspects of life. 

Bibliography 

1 - American Fitness Professionals and Associates. “Certified Nutritionist vs. Registered Dietitian: What’s the Difference?”

2 - Cleveland Clinic. “Dietitians vs. Nutritionists: What’s the Difference?”

3 - Denninger, John and Sara Lazar, David Vago. “Now and Zen: How Mindfulness Can Change Your Brain and Improve Your Health.” The Longwood Seminars at Harvard Medical School, March 8, 2016 Conference:  4, 6-8, 9, 18-19. PDF Download.

4 - Glowiak, Matt. “What is Self-Care and Why is it Important For You?” Southern New Hampshire University, January 23, 2024.

 5 -The National Institute of Mental Health. “Caring for Your Mental Health.”

Cultivating Chill hopes you found the content informative and helpful. If you have any questions or want to share anything, please feel free to leave a comment.

Disclaimer: Cultivating Chill is a space where we explore various topics about yoga, yoga science, and all the yoga things in-between. As a result, there may be content that may not align with personal points of view or beliefs. Neither Cultivating Chill nor any authors are trying to judge or claim authority on a topic. Cultivating Chill is a safe space to share ideas, information, and more about yoga–we are exploring and growing and open to trying new things.

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