saucha

Cleanliness is next to godliness. John Wesley

I was initially confused about why cleanliness is the first practice of niyama but have since realized that Bhakti is about making everything a temple for the divine to dwell in. This includes the body, the mind, the home, the garden, and the surroundings. When everything is clean and pure the mind is also clean and pure and receptive to the divine. So a significant part of my day, nearly 2 hours is spent on cleaning and gardening. This sets the tone for the day.

Cleaning

Cleaning is never done. There is always something to clean and put in order. It is a never ending process. The cleaning should be done with a sense of devotion and with a sense of service to the divine. Each moment of cleaning is an opportunity to meditate.

• Clean the dirtiest place first.
• Start inside and then move outside.
• Make a list of all the cleaning that needs to be done and prioritize it.
• Home Repairs are included in cleaning.
• Pick one big cleaning task each day to tackle.
• Areas to clean:
  • Kitchen.
    • Fridge. Empty expired
    • Compost
  • Front Porch.
    • Cobwebs
    • Organize Shoes
  • Living Room.
    • Cobwebs
    • Organize bookshelf
    • Put away toys
    • Dust surfaces
    • Dust above windows
    • Vacuum
    • Vacuum furniture
  • Dining Room.
    • Cobwebs
    • Organize mail
    • Dust surfaces
    • Vacuum
    • Vacuum furniture
  • Front Bedroom.
    • Dust surfaces
    • Vacuum
    • Vacuum furniture
    • Cobwebs
  • Hall
    • Cobwebs
    • Vacuum
  • Kid Room
    • Cobwebs
    • Dust surfaces
    • Vacuum
    • Make bed
    • Laundry
  • Front Bathroom
    • Clean toilets
    • Clean sinks
    • Clean showers
  • Back Bathroom
    • Clean toilets
    • Clean sinks
    • Clean showers
  • Back Hall.
    • Dust surfaces
    • Vacuum
    • Vacuum furniture
    • Cobwebs
  • Back Bedroom.
    • Dust surfaces
    • Vacuum
    • Vacuum furniture
    • Cobwebs
  • Office.
    • Papers
  • Mudroom.
    • Cobwebs
    • Organize Shoes
    • Organize Toys
  • Garage
    • Organize Tools

Clean

The day starts with cleaning. I spend about two hours daily cleaning the house, gardening, and other upkeep tasks. Some days I may need to setup a Work task for something larger like cleaning the garage. But two hours should be sufficient for most days.

2. Neti Pot. Clear out the nostrils and sinuses with a Neti Pot to breathe freely. This gives full oxygen to the brain and wakes up the body.
3. Prayer with Kid. A simple prayer with the kid to get the day going.
4. Breakfast
   1. Make Coffee
   2. Brush Teeth
   3. Change Clothes
5. Cleaning
   1. Clean Kitchen
      • Take out Compost
      • Dishes
      • Wipe down counters
      • Sweep Floor
   2. Household Chores
      • Bedsheets
      • Laundry
      • Boy Laundry
      • Fridge
   3. Rooms
      • Find the dirtiest thing and clean that first
      • Dust
      • Dirty floors
      • Things not put away
      • Things to sell
      • Things to get rid of
      • Toys
      • Focused Single Area. Find a single area that is not clean or organized and clean that area.
   4. Cars (Weekends)
6. Garden
   • Weed

Study

• The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Gardening

Gardening is also a part of saucha as it is about keeping the surroundings clean and beautiful. Gardening is a way to connect with nature.

• Front Yard
• Side Yard
• Back Yard
  • Compost
• Driveway

Study

• Golden Gate Gardening
• The New Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide