Brahmacharya, the fourth Yama, is about conservation of energy – including sexual energy, and as such was often the most unpopular Yama. It is about the diversion of energy towards yoga and spiritual growth.  In this day and age we can look at Brahmacharya in a much more wide sense.

It is about drawing our energies away from external pleasures which can be short term and often fleeting and rather turn our focus inwards in our search for happiness, peace and contentment.

Let us take a moment to consider where we use most of our energy … is it in worrying about what might happen tomorrow?  How we look?  How we are going to perform at work? Buying the next house, car, item of clothing? Is this really helping us move forward in life….. is it worth using and losing energy over?

If we listen to our bodies and help them to work more efficiently and conserve our energy we will find that, not only do we have more energy to do the things which bring more inner satisfaction, but  our immune system will be increased and we are less likely to become “diseased”.  Yoga helps us use our energy in the best possible sense: to relax and find new rejuvenating energy.  Using our energy to worry, be angry or on any other emotion which will not serve us will mean we have little energy left to focus on the things in life that are really important like being positive, helpful to others and looking after ourselves and others.

It is  about moderation in all we do … obsessions and excesses will sap us of vital energy. If we are committing to yoga, in all its aspects, we’re committing to self-realisation, and that requires time and energy. Wasting time and energy on excess and obsession of any kind takes us further away from our ultimate path and our goal of inner peace and happiness.