Remembering the Sacredness of Our Life

Do you remember that old Alka-Seltzer commercial where a man gorged himself on a meal and says ‘I can’t believe I ate the whole thing’? (I know I’m dating myself here, but hopefully you’ve heard of this one!). We can all relate to this, times when we’ve over-indulged and felt the misery of a too full stomach, the deadness of overwork, the lethargy of oversleep, the dismay of over-spending. When we over-indulge, we’ve forgotten the sacredness of our life, we’ve lost track of the perspective of balance. We need to be aware of our choices of how, when and where we use our life energy, refrain from impulses, and live more wisely.

The fourth Yama is BRACHMACHARYA: We consciously choose to use our life force (especially the energy of sexuality) wisely. Not indulging in the senses in excessive use of food, sex, objects, desires, and things. Instead, being moderate in the way we feel, think, act.

BRACHMACHARYA is about embracing the concept of ‘Less is More’. We are to find satisfaction and contentment in a balanced mind, body and spirit; redirecting your desires to pursue spiritual knowledge and meaning.

We’ll complete the 5 YAMA with our next post on APARIGRAHA: living simply, without attachments.