Part 4: Brahmacharya
Brahmacharya or non-excess
Join me as I embark on 40 weeks of trying to live the yamas and niyamas off the mat. 4 weeks for each of the 10 ethical principles.
Today we explore the 4th yama called brahmacharya or non-excess. How are you overindulging? Moving further from your true self by distracting yourself with excess? There is definitely more to this yama than simply celibacy or abstinance.
But first, what are the yamas? Also known as ethical "restraints", there are 5 in total, and form the first of the 8 limbs of yoga. Yes, there is much more to yoga than just the physical poses!
Here's what I discovered (& I encourage you to do some of your own self-exploration):
Our society is peppered with signs of overindulgence and excess - sadly this is often because we try “fill” ourselves with things that can never achieve this sense of fullfillment. We need to find our sacredness and life-giving practices for that.
In the process of trying to free myself of the web of excess and live the principle brayhmacharya, checking in my with my body’s needs is so important. What is the difference between what I need (activity, food, work, entertainment wise…) versus my mind’s thoughts?
I don’t think that we need to demonise pleasure and enjoyment though - it is after all part of why we are here on this planet. There is a difference between pleasure and addiction. I love yoga nidra because its such a wonderful practice for when I’m utterly exhausted, and is helping me curb my “junk light” addiction of being entertained by a screen. When we feed our mental stories and go past the point of bodily comfort we are living in addiction and not in harmony with brahmacharya.
Practices like fasting or celibacy can be helpful to recentre us in times where we are overindulging in any area of our life. It can be a great time to cleanse and discern the excess in our life, bringing us back into the principle of brahmacharya.
Divine mystery or Higher Power can give us a real sense of nourishment. This automatically makes the pretend nourishment of excess less interesting to us.
What I will do more of: practice healthier ways of soothing emotional discomfort that don’t result in excessive behaviours.
Takeaway: Overindulgence snuffs out our life force - we need to find healthy ways to deal with emotional discomforts.
You can practice brahmacharya with me on the mat in a free Youtube class, during which I share with you journal prompts and ways that you can practice this yogic restraint of non-excess in your own daily life.
I am SO excited to share with you this 10 part series where we explore the yamas and niyamas in more detail during restorative, yin style classes. See you over in class on Youtube (@Tati von Yoga).
P.S. Here are some suggested prompts from Deborah Adele's book The Yamas and Niyamas:
* Live in non-excess - eat, sleep, and work to the point of increased energy and before the lethargy of excess sets in. Practice pleasure without excess.
* Notice where you see God and where you don't. Note the beliefs and judgements that limit your ability to see God and experience God in all things. Practice everything to be a relationship with the divine. See the sacred in the ordinary. See God in every person you encounter. See God in All. By allowing yourself not to be clouded by excess, you will see God.
* Contemplate your own divinity. Write down 3 practices that connect you to your passions and sacredness. Live the sacredness of your life. Remember that excess often distracts us from that which truly matters.
* Examine your values, beliefs, habits, and actions around s3xuality and s3xual activity. Notice if you act on outside authority or on your own beliefs. Practice non-excess in this area of your life.
Lots of love & kindness,
Tati
xx
