Brahmacharya

Following a slight diversion in last week's blog about passion, we are back to exploring the Yamas, the external observances which are part of the eight faceted path of yoga. We have recently taken a look at three of the five Yamas and move onto the fourth, known as Brahmacharya. All of the Yamas relate to each other: compassion and reverence for all (Ahimsa); truthfulness (Satya); generosity (Asteya) and Brahmacharya translated as "moderation" continues to illustrate how they're connected, particularly back to Ahimsa.

In many translations of the Sutras, Brahmacharya is translated as celibacy and a wonderful explanation as to why can be found in Nischala Joy Devi's book, "The Secret Power of Yoga" (pages 196-197). Her translation of Brahmacharya relates to living a moderate and balanced life and this relates to all aspects of our lives. One way to look at this practice is by focusing on what is in excess. Too much of anything can throw us off-balance. We know that if we eat too much, we can gain weight. That if we work too much, we miss out on time with our friends and family. Sitting at the computer for too long can put physical strain on our eyes and posture. Shopping online, at the closest outlet store or on Black Friday can not only overstuff our closets but stretch our financial budget. You get the idea...moderation in all things. 

One great question to ask ourselves as we reflect on Brahmacharya is, "Where am I directing my energy?". If we think about the energy we have throughout each and every day, we know that it is limited. Take a moment to review how you spent your energy over the past 24 hours. Was it in balance? Did it serve a deeper part of yourself? Did it take you away from other things you were wanting to do? Was it focused on one thing (family, work, relaxation)?

As I've asked students to reflect on this question throughout the week, it dawned on me that to recognize when we've overspent our energy budget, we actually have to know what our energy budget looks like. At what point do you draw the line and cross over into excess? Can you recognize when you're in a state of excess? How does it feel in your body, mind, soul? And when we do cross the line of excess, we can throw ourselves so much out of balance that we are no longer in the practice of Ahimsa as we might be causing harm to ourselves on a variety of levels.

I know when I've gone too long in teaching without taking a break (as I do when are in our high season and run teacher training) I notice myself being more short tempered or trying to get pumped up about teaching another class. Over my 34 years of teaching, this has always happened. To bring myself back into balance I know that I need to take a break from teaching. When I step off the mat or out of the gym and allow myself time to do things with my significant other or for myself and simply not think about teaching, it's as though a new and creative life is blown back into me. I remember to connect to the bigger picture and all that is important in life. To stay fresh and inspired I need to recognize when I'm not that...fresh or inspired, and take a break to reignite the flame.

To maintain the residue of the breaks taken, having a regular schedule and daily routine of rituals, supports a longer term ability to stay motivated and driven by the work I do. Time has taught me to keep myself moderated every day and to avoid overdrawing on my energy bank account. Ultimately, when we begin to understand our own needs and understand what feeds us on all levels of our being, we begin to glide more easily along the path of the mission of our life. To quote Nischala Joy Devi:

"Devoted to living a balanced and moderate life (Brahmacharya), the scope of one's life force become boundless".

So let this day be one in which you free yourself from excess...do you know where to start?

Passion

Some of my regular readers of this blog might be expecting that this week I'd be talking about the fourth Yama, as the past three weeks have looked at compassion, truthfulness and generosity. This week I had every intention of moving onto Brahmacharya but it's just going to have to wait. It feels as though I've been overpowered in witnessing passion, so I couldn't resist talking about this all week. I figured with the Sutras being some 2900 years old, the fourth yama could probably wait another week.

My thoughts around passion took flight a couple of weekends ago as my third class of yoga teacher trainees graduated. I stood in the studio during their finals watching as one of the trainees taught to fellow trainees and graduates of the program. It struck me in such a heartfelt way that I was bearing witness to something that was simply a mere conversation on a bus ride in India in February of 2013 and here I was, seeing the ripple effect of that conversation some three years later.

During the Bare Witness Tour of India, where my group of 20 some fundraisers visited the organizations we had been supporting, we spent a bit of time traveling around Kolkata in a group bus. Traffic can get jammed up in Kolkata, so we had many opportunities to get to know our fellow Seva buddies. During one of these times, I had what turned out to be an igniting conversation with Jennifer Chitwood about how she got her yoga school going. I asked many questions which lit the spark for me to do the same thing. It was something that had been sitting on my "that would be cool" list, but hadn't yet been given the right fuel to see if happen. This conversation was enough fuel for me to ignite the process once I returned to the States. I launched my first round of teacher training six months later.

The ripples spread further back than that conversation in India. In February of 2012, I gathered together a group of women for an afternoon tea in my backyard. It had come to me during a meditation a couple of months before that I needed to sit with and gather together women who I found inspirational. So I invited 12 of them over and, as we sat in a circle I said, "You all inspire me so thanks for coming. I don't really know why we're here, but I do have two questions to ask you. What are you passionate about? and What has been sitting on the backburner of your consciousness that you wish to bring forward?"

As we went around the circle, each woman shared her passions and future aspirations and it truly was inspirational. After they had all finished, they turned the question to me to which I replied, "I want to do this fundraising challenge for India with a goal of raising $20,000. I'm a yoga teacher, not a fundraiser and have a tremendous fear of failure". To which the group gently reached out to touch my shoulder and said, "You won't fail...you have us!". That conversation brought the experience of the Seva Challenge India to the forefront. And as you've read above, I did reach the goal and travelled to India as a result. We also had a conversation about what else was on my backburner regarding teacher training.

When you drop a pebble into a still pond you have no idea as to how far the ripples will move outward.

What I've noticed about people following their passion is that a certain amount of vulnerability goes along with it. When we step forward we might be judged, fail or feel exposed. With the recent passing of the musician/entertainer Prince so many of us saw how passionate he was about his craft, despite being booed off stage in his first concert as he opened for the Rolling Stones (or so I heard). Yet that didn't stop him from finding full expression and offering his gifts to so many. The artist Georgia O'Keefe was quoted as saying, "I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing that I wanted to do". I saw so many moments of yoga trainees facing awkward and despite vulnerable moments they persevered through the discomfort and found their unique voices.

No matter what is sitting in the center of our heart that ignites our passionate flame, we need to have the courage to bring it forward. Standing in our truth and standing in fear as goes hand in hand. Allow yourself to feel the fear and do it regardless.

To finish my thought of the week, all of this action of doing and bringing forth my passion began in silence. I needed to get quiet to hear the truth of the intuitive voice living within.

What are you passionate about?

What's sitting on the backburner of your consciousness that you wish to manifest?

It's worthwhile to sit with it and ask the question...quietly. 

Asteya

My thought of the week is a continuation of what we've been exploring over the past couple of weeks-the yamas. 

For those who missed the past few week's blogs here's a quick review. On the path of yoga one is likely to come across the ancient text of the Sutras of Patanjali, originating in India some 2900 years ago. The text is approximately 195 aphorisms (sutras), which are short, terse phrases designed to be easy to memorize. They were originally an oral teaching passed from teacher to student until it is thought the sage Patanjali actually wrote them. This philosophical text provides the framework within my own life in two ways -  by offering a practical guideline of how to put yoga into daily action and as the foundational philosophy that I teach in yoga teacher trainings and in classes. The sutras are meant to be studied over time with their meaning unfolding as we deepen our practice.

One of the most useful parts of the sutras is found in the second of the four books which reveals the eight-faceted path of yoga or Ashtangha yoga.  The first two facets are called the Yamas and Niyamas, or external and internal observances. Within each are five elements with Asteya being the third yama and it's a vital part of any yoga practitioner's awareness.

Asteya is often translated as non-stealing, but as has been previously mentioned, simply placing a "non" in front of the word doesn't give it the full impact of what it represents. Nischala Joy Devi translates Asteya as generosity and honesty. Obviously, our society has legislated to punish people who take things that don't belong to them and as Nischala Joy Devi points out, "laws are unable to protect us from the fear of loss" (p. 191, The Secret Power of Yoga 2007). When we take from others it's a sign that we feel that what we have is lacking. That whatever it is, it's not enough, so we gather and cling to things, ideas, stuff and people. My house, her car, our country. If we think about how we enter and leave the world, with nothing, we begin to realize that the earth is what "owns" us and that we belong to the earth. We can't take our stuff with us and if we can shift from possessing to being caretakers of all we have, we realize that all things come and go. We don't really own anything.

The idea of Asteya came into my  own awareness as I felt that what I knew wasn't enough and kept studying, doing courses and reading. Finally, the day came when I had to trust that what I knew was enough to share with others. What I knew was enough to teach. That's not to say that I don't continue studying, reading and learning, but there definitely had to be a jumping off point where I could share what I had been embodying with others. It was the point of realization that I no longer had to "steal away" more knowledge in order to validate what I was doing

While speaking about this idea in classes this past week, one student asked, "What is it that we steal from others or ourselves?". Have you ever made an appointment with someone and arrived late? Have you ever burned a CD for a friend so they wouldn't have to buy it? Have you ever looked at someone else in a yoga class and compared yourself to their practice? Have you ever felt that if you could just do one more __________ (vinyasa, errand, phone call, email) that I'll be able to check that off the list? Or tried to do a pose based on someone else's ideal of what the pose should look like and mold yourself into that shape? Taken credit for something that didn't come from you?

All of these are examples of stealing from ourselves and others. When we step into the present moment, we know that the moment is enough. It allows us to be where we are, not reaching out for more, amassing more and perhaps feeling less. When we connect into the idea and practice of generosity, it begins to not only feel good on a soul level but it starts to be a great return on investment. We get back what we send out.

So to be in the practice of Asteya this next week give yourself time to do less. Arrive early. Show up and offer your full attention to the person you're in conversation with. Respect the other person's schedule and time. Nurture your own needs and feel that there's plenty for everyone.

What you are is enough.

What you know is enough.

Abundance exists for all.

Satya

Last week we explored the first of the five yamas: Ahimsa, translated as compassion and reverence for all beings and all things. This week, we are progressing onto the second of the Yamas, Satya which can be translated as truthfulness.

For those who missed last week's blog here's a quick review. On the path of yoga one is likely to come across the ancient text of the Sutras of Patanjali, originating in India some 2900 years ago. The text is approximately 195 aphorisms (sutras), which are short, terse phrases designed to be easy to memorize. They were originally an oral teaching passed from teacher to student until it is thought the sage Patanjali actually wrote them. This philosophical text provides the framework within my own life in two ways -  by offering a practical guideline of how to put yoga into daily action and as the foundational philosophy that I teach in yoga teacher trainings and in classes. The sutras are meant to be studied over time with their meaning unfolding as we deepen our practice.

One of the most useful parts of the sutras is found in the second of the four books which reveals the eight-faceted path of yoga or Ashtangha yoga.  The first two facets are called the Yamas and Niyamas, or external and internal observances. Within each are five elements with Satya being the second yama and it's a vital part of any yoga practitioner's awareness.

Satya goes beyond the idea of truthfulness insofar that's it's more significant than simply not lying. It reflects the interconnected relationship between all of the yamas and, as Swami Vivekananda once said, Ahimsa before Satya.  In other words, if we need to speak the truth to someone but it causes them harm, then we wouldn't be practicing Ahimsa and should hold our tongue. A well known Buddhist saying is "Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?" and perhaps this is a mantra that we could put into place in order to begin understanding and undertaking the practice of speaking our truth.

Yet, as I reflect on the meaning of Satya, I think of it as a deeper practice as it's an outward projection of our authentic self. We all place labels on ourselves and on others, but what if we removed the label and looked beneath the surface? One experience that I had illustrates doing just that...removing the label. A few years ago, my husband and I were invited to two extremely different events in the same weekend. The first was a gathering at a friends house who were hosting a traveling Krishna Swami devotee. He offered a short talk and radiated such happiness, that my husband ended asking the question of him, "How did YOU become SO happy?". It was a delightful gathering and the Swami offered a couple of starting points for getting deeply connected and happy by chanting the names of God.

Our second event that weekend was a black tie gala, honoring a couple that I had been doing personal training with for quite some time. We dressed into our fanciest clothes and tried our best to mingle in the crowd of local wealthy philanthropists and society people. As we dropped off our Toyota RAV 4 at valet, next to Jaguars and Bentleys, we knew we weren't about to hang out with our "regular" crowd. As the evening unfolded though, and various conversations were undertaken, it became apparent that this crowd was raising money for a local charity...their hearts were exactly in the same place as the people gathering with the Swami the previous night. The only difference was the outward facade and perhaps a gap in income, yet below the surface the intentions of both groups seemed authentic and connected.

Another example is when I was teaching fitness classes at the University of Melbourne, which would average over 45 people per class in very large gymnasiums. You couldn't distinguish between who might be a first year student or the Dean of a college. They were all in exercise clothes, huffing and puffing and creating a big dripping sweat. Exercise was the great equalizer...all hearts nearly beating as one.

The thought of the week is - can you connect to your authentic self? When the feeling of what you're doing is coming from your highest intention, what are you doing? How are you engaging? When we come from the heart, truth arrives. At times the heart expresses vulnerability, at other times fear or insecurity, yet when we allow ourselves to open this space and share it outwardly we are in Satya. Being our authentic self means owning all that we are...the bold, the imperfect and the loving self.

For many years, I have closed each class with our hands coming together at the points of the forehead, throat and heart saying the words, "May we always know our truth. May we always speak our truth. May we always live our truth." When we begin to know what is true for us, we stand in our own power. When we give voice to that truth, we stand in our own empowerment and when we live from that place, we connect to kindness and compassion for ourselves and all other beings. That's starting to sound like Ahimsa now doesn't it?

Ahimsa

We see violence and anger in the news so frequently these days that we almost become numb to it, as though it's simply an inevitable part of life. And as I write this, I wonder to myself how such complacency has arisen, is there nothing we can do? If we look back in history, we have always had conflict and yet at the same time, schools of thought have been generated to support us in seeking an alternative path, one of peacefulness, harmony and respect for others.

One of these paths is found in the ancient text of the Sutras of Patanjali, originating in India some 2500 years ago. The text is approximately 195 aphorisms (sutras), which are short, terse phrases designed to be easy to memorize. They were originally an oral teaching passed from teacher to student until it is thought the sage Patanjali wrote them. This philosophical text provides the framework within my own life in two ways -  by offering a practical guideline of how to put yoga into daily action and as the foundational philosophy that I teach in yoga teacher trainings. The sutras are meant to be studied over time with their meaning unfolding as we deepen our practice.

One of the most useful parts of the sutras is found in the second of the four books which reveals the eight-faceted path of yoga or Ashtangha yoga. I have mentioned these in previous posts and we will be exploring the first two facets over the next few weeks. The first two are called the Yamas and Niyamas, or external and internal observances. Within each are five elements with Ahimsa being the first yama and it's a vital part of any yoga practitioner's awareness.

Often translated as non-violence or non-harming, Nischala Joy Devi in her book, "The Secret Power Of Yoga" a feminine translation of the sutras, describes Ahimsa as "compassion and reverence for all beings and all things". Rather than negating violence by placing a "non" in front of the word, the heart-centered translation enlivens us into an actual action. She describes one way of holding reverence as how we handle things in our environment, such as gently closing doors and drawers rather than slamming them shut, which in itself is a practice of mindfulness.

In relation to our bodies, what attitude we bring to the mat and beyond can reveal our practice of being kind to ourselves. Any time we under/over do, we can be acting violently against ourselves. Overeating/under-eating; over exercising or not exercising; over or under working. All of these can wreak havoc on our physical selves which affects our emotional states as well. What approach do you bring to the mat?

Having spent years in the fitness industry where much of the slogan was "no pain, no gain" and continues to be perpetuated through the idea of "burning, sculpting, ripping and tearing it up" goes against an act of self-love and compassion that we are trying to embrace in our practice of yoga. It's a tough motto to release as it's been deeply ingrained as being beneficial. I trained so much during a period of my life with a restricted diet that not only did I stop menstruating but ended up with a stress fracture in my rib.  Was this an act of self-love to simply look "good"? I've had my work in this area cut out for me and continue to turn to my practice of having reverence for my body, my temple that houses who I truly am.

And it goes beyond the body and into the whole of who we are. Think about the inner critic who offers destructive self-talk or the thought factory that spews out polluted beliefs which are largely untrue. When we become aware of what kindness to ourselves feels like in our being, we can often interrupt the cycle of subconscious self-destruction.  To quote Dorna Djenab in her article on ahimsa, 

"The essence of ahimsa is non-violence of our own heart. The violence we inflict on each other is only the outward manifestation of the war raging inside ourselves and it is only by stopping the war within that we can stop the war without."

So although at times it seems almost hopeless that violence in our lifetime will ever cease, we can begin to turn the tide by moving into our own hearts. Rather than treating ourselves harshly, we can begin to practice self-love, self-care, self-reverence and compassion. As we do this, it begins to ooze out of us and if we continue, it will impact everyone we come into contact with...all creatures, all things, everywhere.

There is a way. It can be found and practiced with these ancient teachings. Each and every time we step onto our mats or sit on a cushion to meditate, it is an act of self-love.

Compassion...begins with you.

Re-Wire

I recently heard yoga instructor, Eoin Finn, make the following statement: "The gift of yoga is that it teaches us to re-wire the stress response" and as soon as he spoke those words, I stopped what I was doing and wrote them down.  Yes indeed, this practice has a toolbox overflowing with ways in which we can re-wire ourselves.

In my first class of the week I mentioned that our thought for the week was to re-wire, to which one of the students replied, "but we just unplugged a couple of weeks ago!".  Touche! But think about the situation when we have an electrical problem in our house, we don't just reach on it to fix it...we unplug it first and then work on re-wiring the issue. Although I hadn't initially thought of it until my student chimed in, it makes complete sense that for us to re-wire our own behavior, unplugging ourselves by turning inward is a terrific way to begin. We get so distracted by the constant external noise in our environment which gets compounded by the internal noise of our thoughts, that the need to change anything gets buried beneath the din. So luckily we recently talked about unplugging (click here to read the Unplugging post) and are all set to re-wire.

A growing amount of research has been demonstrating how we can re-wire the brain through something termed neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity can be defined as:

The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life.

Neuroplasticity allows the neurons (nerve cells) in the brain to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment.

And it's showing these adaptations through the practices of meditation and mindfulness. Over the past 10 years, the evidence has deepened that the grey matter in different parts of our brain gets larger, rather than shrinking as we age. 

Another way we re-wire is through making positive lifestyle choices which can affect the length of our telomeres. Telomeres are found at the end of our DNA strands and can be described as having an end much like a shoelace with a plastic cap on its end for easier lacing. As we age, our telomeres shorten or fray. We can accelerate getting older by doing too much of something, particularly smoking, overeating/over drinking, not moving or eating nutrient vacant foods. Practices of yoga and meditation have been shown to keep the telomeres longer for a longer period of time, in essence, slowing down the aging process. Our practices push us in the direction of more positive and affirming choices and instead of manifesting our given DNA (such as heart disease and cancer), the longer healthier telomere may mean these diseases never manifest.

The upshot is to make time on a daily basis to meditate...it's a powerful way to strengthen your brain and create or re-wire a more optimal way of being.

The beauty of knowing about neuroplasticity and telomeres is that we can positively influence them through the daily choices we make. Approaching life from a sense of empowerment rather than settling for "what we've been dealt" gives a sense of doing the best we can to look after ourselves. 

And not everything needs to be re-wired. We spend time creating affirming rituals and practices in our lives to keep us on track. When we turn in and get quiet, we can see where we might benefit from a bit of re-wiring. And for those of you who are reading this and have practices in place-fantastic! Keep going and keep opening to what might be next for you...perhaps it's simply staying with it on a consistent basis. And for those of you who are reading this and thinking that sounds a bit too hard, start with just one thing each day. Spend more time in nature and less on technology, get to bed earlier, try that kale salad that your pesky health nut friend has been offering or pause and connect to your breath.

Over the past 34 years that I've been teaching people to move, one of my signatures is that I try not to teach the same class twice. Each class is a new experience and when we mix it up we fire up different neuromuscular connections, that is, our brain and body are in a new conversation. If we always do the same thing, over and over, it's literally less stimulating. So keep it fresh, approach what you're doing from a slightly different perspective and fire up those motor neurons!

Who knew you could be your own electrician! So, let's unplug and get to work on those telomeres! 

Goldilocks

Once upon a time many of us were told the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. For those who need a reminder, this girl, Goldilocks, walked into an empty house that happened to be owned by three bears. She decided to do a bit of exploring and sat down to eat some porridge. As she tasted Papa Bears porridge, it was too hot. Mama Bears porridge was too cold. Well, Baby Bears porridge was just right, so she chowed down. She had a few other adventures in the house that involved chairs and other things until she finally made it into the bedroom where she tried out Papa Bears bed...too hard. Mama Bears...too soft. Baby Bears bed was just right, so she hopped in and fell asleep. And on the story goes, which if you don't know the ending, you'll have to Google it or ask someone else.

Now you might be wondering how the story of Goldilocks makes its way onto a blog about yoga. What I like about this trespassing youngster is that she was in search of what was "just right" for her. And as we step into our yoga practice or move through our day, do we know how to find that sweet spot of what's just right for us? If we shift the emphasis of the story to Papa Bear, we learn that what is just right for him is hot porridge and a hard bed, illustrating that what is just right for each of us may be quite different. As a yoga instructor I don't know what's right for my students. Only they can gauge that through their own awareness. By allowing people to search for what's just right for them it provides each of us an opportunity to pursue a different path. If we can do so without placing judgment on what's right for me or for you, a particular acceptance and freedom arises...not only on the yoga mat but far beyond.

In the yoga Sutras of Patanjali, he talks about the "Gunas", three parts of the mind which I visualize as a see-saw of balance. On one side of the see-saw is Rajas which is active and fiery, the caffeinated version of our minds. The other end is Tamas which is a fixed, immobile and heavy state of mind. In the middle, the balanced fulcrum of the see-saw is Sattva or Baby Bear as it relates to our Goldilocks story. Noticing our mind state is a large part of finding balance in our lives and we explore this through our practices of yoga and meditation. In those moments of too much activity, the state of Rajas, we know to move more toward Tamas and vice versa. These constant fluctuating states gain greater balance as we practice, enabling us to have more accessibility to creating a state of balance, one that is "just right" for us.

So who knew that a story that I was told many years ago would be related through a yogic reference? Who knew that Goldilocks could inspire a recognition that all of us crave balance in our lives. When we find that perfect balancing point of Sattva, a sense of stability and ease arises. My question for you this week is "where are you leaning?". Toward a Papa or a Mama Bear? Or have you found the still-point of balance, resting in the middle, just as Goldilocks rested in Baby Bears bed.

Depending on your reflection of this question, what do you need to do to shift or maintain the sweetness? Enjoy the journey of exploring and make sure you bring some porridge along that is just right for you!