Saucha

Purity, cleanliness. First niyama (observance) of Ashtanga Yoga.

It operates on multiple levels:

• Body — Hygiene, proper nutrition, shatkarmas
• Mind — Clear thoughts, free from toxicity
• Environment — Orderly space, healthy relationships

Hatha Yoga practices (asana, pranayama, shatkarma) are direct tools of saucha: they purify the physical and energetic body for subtler practices.