First Light
How First Light worksTuesday 27 October·
- Sunrise
- 07:55
- Quiet hour
- 06:19–07:07
- Brahma Muhurta
- Moon
- Waning gibbous
- Next full moon: Tue 24 Nov
Autumn
The quiet hour (Brahma Muhurta) is the traditional time for practice, just before sunrise.
कायेन्द्रियसिद्धिरशुद्धिक्षयात्तपसः
kāyendriya-siddhir aśuddhi-kṣayāt tapasaḥ
Through discipline, impurities are destroyed and the body and senses are perfected.
Yoga Sutras 2.43 · verse 94 of 196
Unfolding the thread
Tapas literally means heat, the fire of steady effort. Like fire refining metal, discipline burns away what's dull or weak in body and senses, until they become fine instruments. Not punishment; refinement.
Try today
Choose one small discomfort to accept on purpose today: cold water, an early start, a skipped treat.
The Echo
The same truth, heard in another tradition
“You yourself must make an effort. The Tathagatas (Buddhas) are only preachers. The thoughtful who enter the way are freed from the bondage of Mara.”
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