How To Strengthen Your Will

Modern-day comforts have made us soft and lazy. Some amount of Tapa can help us toughen up From a Parisamvada by Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra

- Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra

Tapa is a virtue which is not to be indulged Tin too much. In yoga at least, it is clear. Like, for example, an ancient Rishi sat down for meditation in a forest. Being in a forest, naturally, the ants started climbing on him. His entire body was covered with ants and their houses. But he still did not get disturbed. This is an extreme case and possibly he wanted it. But Tapa is like a homeopathic dose. You take it and it does you a little good. The body is to be roughened, toughened. The mind has to be strong. The bearing capacity has to increase. So, for a short while, any kind of Tapa like not speaking for half an hour, not eating a certain kind of food, etc. may be done. You do it for yourself to strengthen your own will. This is one of the very important Niyamas. It directly requires the individual’s own concentration and effort.