Patanjali's eight limbs of Yoga Yamas: Brahmacharya

                                                                              Photo by Margot Porter
 Yamas: Brahmacharya

Broadly speaking Brahmacharya means control of the senses, therefore, it can be seen as using your energy wisely both on the mat and in daily life.  The emphasis however on controlling your senses focuses, in particular, on celibacy or abstinence from sexual activity.  
In this way yoga is similar to many other spiritual traditions in that it asks us to restraint, contain and control our sexual urges. It is believed that sex depletes the psychic and nervous system.  To work with the higher limbs of yoga dharana, dhyana, samadhi requires an enormous amount of  energy so abstinence from sexual activity is required.  

Perhaps for the modern person, brahmacharya is about not wasting precious time and energy on activities, conversations and thoughts that do not nourish the soul. A yoga or meditation practice (though to me one in the same yoga = meditation) is an opportunity each day to access how best to approach the day. On the mat, for example, do I use all my energy during the warm up and have no juice left to approach or explore a pose more deeply and is this how I go about my day...my life. 

Enjoy, breathe your spirit fully into life.

"Practice of Brahmacharya gives good health, inner strength, peace of mind and long life. It invigorates the mind and nerves. It helps to conserve physical and mental energy. It augments memory, will force and brain power. It bestows tremendous strength, vigour and vitality. Strength and fortitude are obtained... He who is established in Brahmacharya will have lustrous eyes, a sweet voice and a beautiful complexion."

Swami Sivananda, 

Quote from the official website of Advaita Yoga Ashram http://yoga108.org/

Thoughts on my daily practice ...

 

 Thoughts on a daily practice...

 Photo by my friend Herb Robertson- botanical artist and most magnificent chef.

I worked out the other day, as you do, that I have had a daily yoga practice (asana/meditation) for over 10 years. Despite daily practice, I wondered this morning: why is there sometimes resistance to rolling out my mat or sitting on my cushion. I know that once I am there all is good and I can unwind and see where I'm at in the moment. How is it that my mind can create so many doubts and fears to stifle and stymy me to almost not making it to my mat or meditation cushion. 

For a while I kept a journal noting down all and sundry excuses I found for not doing my practice including excuses and reasons - valid and sound, of course - for not going to class, and I was astounded at the variety, imagination and in some cases sheer ridiculousness of my rationale for not doing yoga practice. 

Yet, every day I do my practice because I am happier, freer, softer and gentler. In particular, I am compassionate to myself and those in my life. One idea that sprung into my busy mind this morning as I raised my arms in Surya Namaskar was that I'm meant to be climbing the hill to freedom yet I seem to be stuck in samskaras learning the same lesson again and again. "Practice, practice all is coming" so says Pattabhi Jois and so I do wade my way through resistance and discover that a lesson has in fact been digested and change is occurring. Breaking through habitual habits, patterns and emotional obscurations is not something that happens over night so I make my way every day to my mat open to what awaits.

Regular practice, daily practice done with gentleness, honesty and love really can shift the way we see the world and ourselves...maybe even see all as one and realise there is no self.

I may explore this more in my winter newsletter.

Om shanti,

Margot

Patanjali's 8 limbs of Yoga: Yamas - Satya

Photo by Marc Perri

Patanjali's limbs of Yoga: Yamas - Satya

Yama: Satya

"Regardless of what stage of life we're in, Yoga practice should serve to bring forth our unique skills, strengths, and talents. It should help us live with greater ease and acceptance. If we mold our practice into some idealized form based on an external standard that is irrelevant to our own destiny, our Yoga practice will only fortify a false sense of self. In this light, always consider your practice in terms of how it can balance and serve the rest of you life. The practice should serve you: you are not a servant to the practice."

Donna Farhi

 Bringing Yoga to life: the everyday practice of Enlightened living.

This week we have been focusing on the Yama or restraint 'satya'. Satya can be translated as honesty or truthfulness and for me being honest helps to cultivate self acceptance both on and off the mat. In terms of my formal yoga practice on the mat it is about asking myself if I can be happy where I am and not try to change myself or others perception of myself. This boils down to asking myself if I honesty need to attempt a more complex or advanced pose. Can I be content and truthful in my practice? After all, I have found trying to go places I am not ready to go just leaves me feeling physically tired, maybe sore and emotionally/mentally dissatisfied if i am not successful. Working towards a pose is just as beneficial to getting there... as they say it is in the journey not the destination.

Patanjali's 8 limbs of Yoga: Yamas -Ahimsa

Patanjali's limbs of Yoga: Yamas -Ahimsa

 

 Autumn Mandela made by Margot Porter

Ahimsa can also be explored through the inner dialogue occurring on the mat as we move through poses and the practice. The question or inquiry for this week- what is the inner conversation going on as we practice. Below are some examples of my inner murmurings:

• I used to be able to do this so ....
• The person next to be can do so ....
• The teacher can do this so ...
• I want to be able to do this.. Why?
•  And so on ....

Is this type of inner dialogue supportive and nurturing?

Yoga for me is about learning to be happy and content with myself the way I am- each day, each moment, each breath and nothing else. I try to see my yoga practice as me time and opportunity to relax and be.

I see yoga as a chance to explore where I am at and how to be okay with it. Yoga on the mat is a formal practice and can then moves out beyond the mat into daily life.

Patanjali's 8 limbs of Yoga: Yamas

Patanjali's limbs of Yoga: Yamas 

Photo by Marc Perri.

Over the next few weeks in class we are exploring Patanjali's eight limbs of Yoga in a little more detail. 

This week we looked at the Yama: Ahimsa. Ahimsa is often translated as non-violence or  non- harming. I think it can also be viewed as loving kindness (metta) and compassion towards ourselves and others. This plays out on our yoga mat in the way that we behave towards ourselves: not pushing too hard, not over-tensing or over-stretching but working in a comfortable place for our body moment to moment. Comparing ourselves to others, the teacher or pictures in books and magazines is not a healthy approach as each of us has our own unique alignment for a pose. The question to ask maybe: Can I stay here in this pose for the next ten minutes? and if not what adjustments could I make to do this? How can I honour my body, mind and spirit in this pose?