The Eight Limbs: Yama (Brahmacharya)
Yama No. 4: Brahmacharya.
This one is tricky, in terms of interpretation.
Basically, it means sense or emotion control, but some see this as abstinence (yep, that means abstaining from any hanky panky).
However...
it's not. Not really.
I mean it can mean that, but if we are to put yoga philosophy into our everyday context, abstinence is possibly not necessary. Sometimes it is, but I guess it just depends on the situation and the individual.
Anyway..
Brahmacharya is more about everything in moderation, rather than abstaining from things all-together. It's basically just responsible behaviour, with respect to our goal of 'moving toward the truth.'
I think, for me, it's about not giving in to things that you desperately want, but don't really need.
I will use the example of my dear friend Maia (who could quite possibly kill me for saying this.. love you Maisy Daisy xxx). Recently Maia and I had a debate about whether or not she needed a coffee in the mornings to wake her up before school. Now, I wasn't telling her to give up coffee because caffeine is a drug and blah blah blah.. but I was really just questioning her motives. Did she really NEED a coffee in order to function? If her intention was to wake herself up, why not do other things like 20 star jumps or splashing her face with cold water or eating a banana? My belief was that Maia did not NEED a coffee, she just wanted one. That's perfectly fine, but it's important to know the difference. Maia unknowlingly now uses Brahmacharya by seriously considering whether or not she really wants or needs a coffee at any time of the day.
Brahmacharya is also about how we treat others. It means respecting everybody equally and not letting our emotions interfere greatly with how we interact with people. I am so bad at this! Something I really need to work on is forgiveness, not holding a grudge, not giving someone death stares because I didn't like a post they put on Facebook. Brahmacharya means we use the energy that our angry or passionate emotions create within us for good, not evil. We must learn to control our emotions, and in turn transform them to something that is going to be productive and non-harming (it's that Ahimsa again!) to others and ourselves.
As a yoga teacher and practitioner, I know that if I enter a class while hanging on to some angry or stressed emotion, it's going to effect both the energy of the class and the practice in quite a negative way. This is why taking a moment to settle into the practice at the beginning of class is really important - it allows both the teachers and the students to let go of unnecessary emotions that are going to hinder our practice or our teaching. Be responsible and respect your yoga practice by giving it every opportunity to be amazing, because yoga, when done correctly, is a very special, moving and amazing thing.
So. Brahmacharya. A little tricky to interpret, but still a vital part of our yoga philosophy!
Namaste x
