Tapa is what you and I usually understand as the strict ascetic life (or tapasya) followed by the rishi-munis in their quest for a higher truth. We think of it as the process by which characters from the Ramayana and the Mahabharat caused the Gods to appear and grant boons to them. Tapp or Tapas means to heat; it refers to spiritual practices, solitude, privation and ascetism. However tapa can also be understood to mean self discipline; a moderation of the self that can help one evolve as a person.
Tapa – purification via discipline of the self
So what is tapa? It is one of the niyamas or rules that govern yogic practice. It is one among the rules for cleanliness, santosh or contentment, svadhyay or self learning, Ishwara pranidhana which is the ultimate submission to a higher power. Tapa is about controlling our passions and baser instincts and channeling our energies into worthier practices.
Tapa can take intense and extreme forms – deep meditation for very prolonged periods, fasting for many days, self denial of the most basic of needs and even acts such as giving up warm clothing in cold areas, standing on one foot for several years and so on. But what this essentially means is mastering the self and being able to do the things that we find difficult. It is about controlling and removing weakness from ourselves; about cleansing. Tapa also means internal cleansing or purification. It is a process similar to heating vessels to remove germs and impurities.
What is tapa in practical terms?
Setting aside the spiritual and the metaphysical implications of tapa, let us look at how we may practically apply tapa to our daily life and our yogic practice. Meditating regularly is known to have many beneficial impacts including the ability to control the mind and firm one’s resolve and this will start you off of your road towards tapa.
Prioritizing that which is difficult and but good for you and the world around you is another form of tapa. Don’t procrastinate, don’t use short cuts to achieve your goals, do the right thing no matter how difficult it is.
You may feel lazy one day; may want to stay in bed and miss your yoga class. But you know giving in to this feeling of inertia is not good for you. Not only will you feel guilty about it, you will also miss that feeling of wholesome wellbeing that typically follows your class. Similarly, you could be putting off for later some of the more challenging yoga poses (which is actually a metaphor for the many other challenges you face in your life), offering yourself some or other excuse to not do it now.
When you will yourself to do something difficult you not only feel a sense of achievement, you restore faith in yourself and give your self esteem the boost that will spur you on to bigger, more significant attainments. Practice tapa in small ways. Make small increments. Then aim for bigger, more significant achievements that will help you grow into a better, more evolved person.