Bramacharya
A Mission Moment Share from Humble Haven’s Founder, Suzanne Burns
Brahmacharya (often spelled bramacharya) is number four of the five Yamas, which make the first limb of Yoga’s eight-limbed path. Yamas are recommended moral guidelines to consider in our relationship to the world around us.
Brahmacharya traditionally was a teaching of celibacy for spiritual seekers and guides, but with the passing of time, its teaching has evolved to instruct us to consider what is the right use of energy. When blending Brahmacharya in its traditional understanding and this more modern take, one interpretation might be that it is the practice of redirecting sexual energy to regenerate our connection to self.
When I hear the term “yoga practice,” it’s easy to get stuck on the doing aspects of yoga, such as the yoga postures or even an intentional breathing practice. But, holistically, yoga actually teaches us about balance. When we are over- or under-using our physical, mental, and emotional energy, balance is not possible. This is where the teaching of Brahmacharya arises.
In preparing to share my own learnings and practice of Brahmacharya, I considered what a “right use of energy” might look like in day-to-day life. One example that has stuck with me is the correlation between Brahmacharya and the setting of boundaries, aka our personal guidelines to ensure the right use of our energy.
Boundaries and the art of setting them always bring me back to the interdependent relationship between Yes and No - a discussion and teaching from one of my first yoga teachers, Baron Baptiste.
“Be a yes” is one of the core themes of Baptiste Yoga. It wasn’t until I attended a workshop with Baron directly that I understood that, in order to truly be a yes to one thing, you have to be a definitive no to something else. The intentionality of a yes and a no is part of setting a boundary and creating the environment for Brahmacharya to exist.
The ancient text, The Bhagavad Gita, shares that “yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” Through steady and consistent practice, yoga offers anyone deep and true awareness of themselves. As this awareness grows, our ability to be grounded and affirmed in what we say Yes and No to grows in clarity and efficiency. Our yeses and no’s set the stage for our boundaries. And while yoga ultimately connects us to our true self, it is from this connection that we become practicing yogis in relation to the world and all living beings around us.
The knowing of what we are a yes or a no to and knowing our boundaries doesn’t always just exist within ourselves, especially when it affects our relationship with others. For example, I have boundaries in place that protect my time with my kids and my family. It would be unfair and potentially create an unnecessary output of energy for myself and those that I work with if I did not communicate those boundaries - and vice versa.
A few weeks ago, I received a request to lead a meditation for annual event within the Richmond wellness community. In order to have the energy I know to be required for the other offerings and classes I’ve already committed to, I kindly declined. In this moment, I was a no to leading the meditation so I could be a true yes to what else I had already committed to. And the communication of that no is both important and necessary so that the individual making the request does not spend future energy wondering or following up.
Brahmacharya works alongside the first three Yamas we’ve explored in this monthly newsletter - Ahimsa (non-harming), Satya (truthfulness), and Asteya (non-stealing) - so that we may honor ourselves and honor those around us at the same time.
-Suzanne B.