Let’s continue to explore the Yama and Niyama, “helping hands moving us deeper into our own authenticity.”*
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 regret of over-spending.
When we over-indulge, we’ve forgotten the sacredness of our life, we’ve lost track of the value of balance.
The fourth Yama is BRACHMACHARYA. It is about embracing the concept of ‘Less is More’. We are to find satisfaction and contentment in a balanced mind, body and spirit; redirecting our desires to pursue spiritual knowledge and meaning.
We consciously choose to use our life force (including 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. In Hindu our ‘vital energy’ is called prana; the Hebrew name is ruah; the Chinese definition is chi.
Whatever you name it, our vital energy is fundamental to our health and longevity. It is something to be respected and used wisely.
We need to be aware of our choices of how, when and where we use our life energy, observe our impulses, and live more thoughtfully in the moment, and throughout our days.
We’ll complete the 5 YAMA with our next post on APARIGRAHA: living simply, without attachments.
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