Bramacharya, the fourth Yama. The Yamas are the first step on the 8-fold path of yoga as written by Patanjali, the father of modern day yoga and the author of the Yoga Sutras. When we I say “modern” – it’s all relative, they were written around 440 AD!!
Bramacharya means practising everything in moderation so that we can conserve energy for what is really important for our personal growth and, in the eyes of Patanjali, moving towards unification with the Divine or Universal energy.
In literal terms Bramacharya means celibacy, however, in modern day life, unless we are living in a monastery or convent this is not a realistic request, particularly if we are to lead an intimate life with our partner. Therefore, we will focus on the deeper understanding of Bramacharya and the harnessing and conservation of our energies for what is really important to us. We can try not to waste a drop of our energy on eating food that is too rich for us or over indulging in too much food; not moaning or ranting and raving about a bad night’s sleep or any other discomfort or aggravation in our daily lives; not daydreaming about owning castles or living out sexual fantasies; not worrying unnecessarily about things that just will not happen – all of which use our precious energy.
Our constant need to be “doing” can mean we are over using our valuable energies 24:7. Working long hours can mean we do not have enough time to just be quiet and contemplate, or cook healthy meals and instead of a healthy walk in fresh air, some of us prefer to run on a treadmill in a gym. As a result we can be overstimulated and not spend enough time in the fresh air or connecting to nature – all of which deplete our energy levels.
Sometimes it is a good idea to take a moment to consider where most of our energy goes? Is it to work? To worrying? Packing more and more into our life? Endlessly pushing ourselves to do better/be more attractive/ be thinner/fitter?
No matter where our energy is directed, we can just notice it and perhaps try to ensure we spend some of our daily life doing something which will relax us and ultimately provide us with more energy ….a quiet walk, a good read, just sitting outside in the fresh air, meditation or yoga …
We can try to listen to our body and feed it with nutritious food, plenty of water and little caffeine; go to bed and wake up early; get plenty of fresh air and exercise and above all, do something which brings us joy each day.
This ability to slow down will not only allow our body and mind to take a much needed break, but we will be much more aware of how we’ve been using our energy . It can be interesting to be aware of how we feel physically and energetically when we’re in certain situations – do some people drag our energy levels down? Do others make us light up and fuel us with more energy?
By contemplating Brahmacharya within our every-day actions, we can take our yoga practice off the mat and into our lives and allow it to serve us at all times….