Non-excess: Brahmacharya

I came home today and read the next chapter in my book, about the fourth "branch" of yama (restrains).  My goal has been to pace myself with my yoga readings, so I am finished with most of the books before I start my training next week.  Little did I know when I ordered and cracked open these books, that I would be opening up a new can of obsession.  Each and every branch has felt like exactly what I needed to hear on the given day.  Funny how that works.

While this branch is mostly associated with celibacy or abstinence, brahmacharya literally means "walking with God."  Even though I can't pronounce this branch, it is my new favorite one.  It's foundation is built on something I've been incorporating into my life most recently with food.  I think our eating habits are one of the worse ways that we practice excess regularly.  Everyone has their weakness, whether it is work, exercise, sleep, technology, social media, even spirituality.  Some people are even obsessed with being busy (so guilty of this one).  Our goal should be to find balance in the things that keep us alive and happy.  For example, food is meant to nourish our bodies, and we should do that by eating the right amount of the right foods.  I can go on and on about this, but I'll leave it at that.

Why do we move past the place of "enough" into "excess?"  Why do we become addicted to things that make us happy and then overdose on them?  Put simply, our mind plays tricks on us.  It makes us think that if we eat that last bit or lose those last five pounds or get that pay increase, that we will be happy.  But then as soon as we reach that place, we suddenly want more.  That's what we have been brainwashed to believe, that we always need more.

We live in a society that is obsessed with busyness.  We feel great at the end of the day, after we've accomplished so many things...but really, how have we made any gains if everything was about us and meeting our needs?  We make ourselves busy because we want to feel important, like we've made a difference, again making it about us.

I like how Vimalananda put it: In this country, you wear God on your wrist.  It's true!  We are slaves to time, our clocks and other electronics.  Time is not running out; we just need to embrace it and prioritize and then enjoy it.

Author Adele states that if we find ourselves living in overindulgence, the best way to reset is to start from zero again.  Yes, that may mean "fasting" or resting for some, but the idea is to realize we will be okay if we don't have everything we want when we want it.  It is a great way to cleanse the body/mind/spirit, pause, and give thanks for what we have; "when gratitude and wonder sit in the heart, there is no need for excess" (pg. 83).

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