“If you choose you can be joyful every moment of your life. It’s time you made your choice.” – Sadhguru
Weekly Focus: Brahmacharya (moderation)
Brahmacharya is the first yama (ethical guideline) in the 8-limb path and refers to the moderation of our energies. Brahmacharya asks us to consider where we send our energy, and if it is being directed in the most effective spaces.
How do you feel about empty rooms? Are they exciting to you? Perhaps you relate to the feelings of wanting to I want to paint it and fill it with art, furniture, knick knacks, family, pets…etc, etc. What happens once the space is “complete?” Once you have filled the space, the journey may feel complete, perhaps you even feel a sadness that it’s already finished. It was too quick, maybe you couldn’t moderate yourself or your energy, and in that rush, you may have invited people or things into my space that you didn’t actually want there. This may not be the exact scenario for you, but can you consider other similar situations, where you rush towards the end, and feel a bit of regret at the completion?
Brahmacharya has to do with how we are moderating our energies. Are we over-expending and inviting the wrong people or spending to much time on the wrong actions? Are we conscious with our time? Ensuring that we only push our energy towards the effectiveness of ourself, protecting the vital potential for where it’s most important?
We don’t want to fill a room too fast, and we don’t want to burn up all of our energy in the wrong spaces. When we devote too much energy to people who do not lift us up, we hold ourselves back. When we devote too much energy to opportunity that doesn’t match our values, we feel drained and misaligned. You get to choose, will you devote your energy to joy and alignment, or to discontent and misalignment?
This can show up in a number of ways. When we funnel of our energy towards irritation or frustration, we don’t feel good. And in some scenarios, it takes away from the experience we were hoping to have. Rather than savoring each moment, we rush through to the end, feeling sorrow after that it didn’t go as we planned. Sometimes we funnel our energy towards activities that feel good in the moment, but ultimately leave us feeling drained. When we say yes to another social outing, when what we are really craving is quiest time to recharge, we may feel the downfall afterwards, feeling drained and exhausted. Perhaps our energy could have been better spent in personal care.
Everything in Yoga is a balance of scales. When we channel our energy too far in any direction, the outcome us often too heavy to uphold.
Do you moderate your energy well? If you aren’t sure, is there any relationship or experience that currently leaves you at less than your best? Where can you moderate your energy usage in order to save you potential for what’s most important in life?
Passive Pose of the Week: Equal Pose Flow
Equal Pose Flow helps us to moderate and balance the energy within our body. We can see each side of this flow as the bowls of a scale, a metaphor for seeking moderation and balance in where we direct our energy.
- Begin sitting on the floor in a comfortable cross-legged seat.
- Bring your right hand to the floor. Bring your left hand to cup behind the back of the head.
- Lean to the right, tipping your left elbow up to the ceiling. Inhale into the left side of the body.
- As you exhale, turn and rotate your ribs, so the left elbow comes towards the right knee. They won’t touch, but that is the action you are looking for.
- Take this open and close action 5 – 7 times, moving with your breath.
- Release through center and switch sides.
Often when we take rotations like this in the body, we focus on our elbow reaching and touching the target point. These types of movements are less about the connection between your elbow and the target point, and more about feeling a rotation in the spine and ribs (your thoracic spine). Try to focus less energy on moving the elbow towards a target, and more energy on feeling the ribs turn. It can be hard to differentiate, but with practice you start to notice the difference. Try it both ways and see if that helps. First, intentionally move the elbow, turning from the shoulder, then try to keept the arm still and turn from the ribs. Can you sense the difference?
Active Pose of the Week: Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I)
Hero-friend pose — a balance of energies right there in the name. A posture that brings us into a sense of effort and ease — a balance of our physical energies. This pose is understated, where you focus your intent and energy can make a big difference in the experience of the pose.
- Begin in a standing Mountain pose (tadasana).
- Step your left foot back about 2 – 3 feet and pivot your heel down. The toes wil turn out 30-45 degrees.
- Reach your arms up overhead.
- Hold for 3 – 5 breaths and switch sides.
To check in with your energy in this pose, take a big inhale and tense up through the entire body. Squeeze your hands into fists, feel your muscles tighten and engage, actively push into the floor with your feet and reach your arms away. As you take a big exhale, relax completely. Let your body slacken, your weight feel heavy and drawn towards the floor. Notice the difference. Now, inhale again and retense the body, but this time as you exhale, releax the body only 10 – 15%. Find the balance between the two, and notice how that feels. Use this technique anytime you need help finding the balance between.
Join us in class this week to practice your self-reflection and acknowledgment of the Kleshas. See the full schedule HERE.
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