Yoga to Transform (00:48)
Alrighty, so we are up to the fourth of the yamas. It's kind of they feel like we're flying through them, like the just like these weeks are flying by. And we're up to Brahma Chari Chayarya, which is in the
Olden days it was translated as celibacy. So like it was basically for the monks and the nuns to like really, you know, channel their sexual energy so that they could conserve it to step onto the to the path. but obviously yoga is now for householders, and so you know, none of us are nun nuns and monks yet we may become nuns and monks, but right now we're not.
So it's re it's kind of reinterpreted for the middle path, which is this kind of middle path that Buddha talked about, which is like living living a good life but not having to become a nun or a monk, is wise use of energy, basically, and starting to focus on how we use and direct our energy and distract ourselves from achieving our fullest potential or
getting into those superpowers that we all, you know, know that we have and the things that we can achieve in our in our bodies and our minds. so I I loved this part, this that I read the other day, which is Brahman means the divine. And in some schools of yoga, Brahman is the is the is the highest creator. So he basically is he's he's the
number one and it just depends so there's like Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahman that are the Brahma who are the the highest. So Brahman means the divine and Chaya Chaya means the path. So basically when you're a Brahman Chay, you are on the path of the divine. So that's kind of part of this journey of of yoga is kind of on this path to achieving
Enlightenment, which is the path of the divine. So what we do when we're looking at this wise use of our energy, is we start to pay our attention to how we use our energy, right? And how we distract ourselves during the day. And if you start to pay attention, you might start to get quite surprised with.
the amount of time or energy that you are focusing in areas that may not be fully 100% supportive of you living a life fully kind of established in peace and joy and love, right? When you start realizing it. And the truth is like we all have a certain number of hours, we've all got 24 hours in the day, and we all have a certain amount of energy.
and some of us have differing amounts of energy, but I think some of that differing amounts of energy actually other than the constitutional tendencies, like if I'm if you're a Vata person, then you're like, whoa, you know, you know, flying all over the place. And then a kuffer person. I think I might have said this in class, like my daughter, she sleeps a lot because she's kuffer. I I don't get it, but you know.
She's different to me. So we have a certain amount of energy. So there's the constitutional part, but I also think that there's the distraction of the or the distracted use of energy that drains from our energy. So when you start actually not putting your energy into things that are distracting, then you actually have more energy. Or
Sometimes people put their energy into repressing how they feel or not speaking up. And so they're like, you know, spending all their time like biting their tongue and they're kind of distracting, they're keeping away from the energy. And they're really kind of keeping away from that finding of just that full peace and love and happiness. That is the promise of yoga. So
The yoga is a path really of turning inwards. So finding finding the delight and the pleasure of life through really coming to know yourself and really turning within. And it's when you start to bring your energy and your attention inwards into the things that
affirm you and lift you up and and give you joy. And then the things that drain you will take away the joy and all of that stuff. Then you start to also start to come to know the inner pleasure of your being, like just the delight of your being. And I think, you know, I used to be this incredibly extroverted person and be like, whoa, you know, hang like hanging around with all the people. And the practice of yoga has made me just be like, you know what?
I just really love doing yoga by myself, you know. But I've come to connect to that inner inner pleasure of just my own internal being. And so some of those external pleasures that I used to seek or used to need have become quite meaningless. So that kind of diversion of energy from looking outside for yes, this is going to make me feel good, to now actually.
a meditation, some pranayama and some yoga. Best recipe for feeling good.
My sisters still think it's champagne. so there you go. so then when you think about it, like anyone you look at in life, you who has created anything worthwhile or meaningful, anyone you know, they they have dedicated and focused their lives in the direction of their desires, right? So it's like if you want.
to achieve something, then you have to learn how to direct your energy and your desire away from those simple distractions or the simple pleasures and towards what it is that you really want. Yeah. So that, you know, if we if we spent half of a yoga practice, you know, getting distracted and checking our phones and I don't know, talking to each other, you know, we wouldn't really get the yoga practice done, you know.
We'd we'd be, and then we wouldn't get the outcome of the yoga practice, which is having a fit body and a calm mind and and starting to have a much better life. So those simple pleasures that other people are having, and you see it like the delay of personal gratification that comes with going after a goal or going after something that you think is really bigger or more important.
you're delaying the simple pleasure of, or even let's say if you're trying to lose weight, you delay the simple pleasure of eating the ice cream or the chocolate cake, or sitting on the couch watching TV and you go for a workout or you eat a banana instead. And then all of a sudden, eating the banana becomes the pleasure because the the sweetness of the fruit is so much better than any ice cream you could ever eat. Now I know there are people out there who would disagree with me on that point.
but when when you are focused on the simple external pleasures of life, they do offer us lots of delight in the moment. So I always like when I have an ice cream, I'm like, this is delicioso, like it is the best experience ever. but then it does, it can throw you off balance and it can squander your energy. So
For me with the ice cream and the sugar and everything else, I'm like, this is so good. And then I feel sick, you know. And you know, which is only just because I'm not meant to have a lot of dairy, but which is why it's a great example for me. So it just sometimes when we when we enjoy the simple pleasures of life and the distractions away from the bigger picture of what we're trying to achieve.
We do get thrown off balance and we are kind of squandering our energy and diverting it in the wrong direction. So it's like, so what is it that you want to achieve and how do you stay focused and learn how to moderate your senses and your desires so that you can manage the cravings that distract you from the bigger goal that you set yourself?
so when we apply Brahmancharya into our lives, it what we're really doing is applying transformation of our habits, right? So we're changing the habits that we have. and we're building habits that help us get in sync with our spiritual aspirations or just the general aspirations of, I don't know.
Doing a bigger yoga pose or building a business or whatever it might be. So when you when you start to kind of pull back from the distractions and really focus on the outcome that you want, then one of the outcomes is that you start to experience that inner joy and the building of your own confidence because it's like, hey, I can do it. You know, the more you kind of practice, the better you get, and then the more confident you become. So it becomes an upward spiral.
Whereas sometimes when you're getting distracted by, you know, the simple pleasures or the, that looks like fun, I'm gonna go do that. it become it can become a downward spiral. So there's the this will power that has to be employed. So
We take in a lot of information in modern modern age. Yeah. There's like a lot happening out there. Right. And so we are overwhelmed with stimuli and also overwhelmed with the ability to be distracted. So it's really important that we when we have a focus target. So Brahmancharya, like I said, is this wise use of and use of energy, but it's someone with a purpose. So they're w walking the divine path.
But it doesn't necessarily, you don't have to be walking the divine path. You just have to be working towards an outcome that you really want in your life, right? So it's like, what is the outcome that I want? What is the result I desire? And why do I desire that result? And then how do I stay focused on that result? So when there's this world which is so more complex than the yogis had, right? You know, we were talking about it today in a health and safety meeting.
about a potential privacy break breach, I think it was. And someone said, Once upon a time, all of your private information was in the in the in the phone book, you know, your name, your address and your phone number. And those three pieces of information were the only identifying factors you had back then, right? You didn't have email addresses or, you know? And it was just all published. Every anyone could get their hands on it. And I was like, I see, you know, and so that like
wasn't that long ago that we had this simple life of, you know, everything published in the phone book. And that's as that's as complex as it gets. You get two an address and a phone number. Boom, that's who you are. but now it's way more than that. So we have to really start becoming purposeful about the books that we read or the magazines that we read or the podcasts that we listen to or the movies that we watch and the company we keep. And
the the activities that we participate in when we're you know keeping that company or even by ourselves because all of that will help us conserve our energy and keep our fine mind focused on the outcome that we're trying to achieve. So if you if you're trying to build a business or
lose weight or whatever, then the wise use of your energy would be to study the business books and listen to the business podcasts. If you want to, you know, whatever it might be, build a nested for retirement, the wise use of your energy is to focus in on that space and ignore out a drop not ignore, but not distract yourself with all of the other stuff that can be distracted.
and then obviously, though, if you have strong desires and you're trying, you know, strong habits and strong desires in a certain direction, like for example, chocolate cake, and you're trying to moderate those desires, because it's a practice, yeah. I would never recommend anyone ever go cold turkey from chocolate cake. Or I would never recommend anyone give up chocolate cake.
Because it's the middle path. You still enjoy your chocolate cake. Yeah. But you just don't eat the whole darn cake. You know, like I don't know if you know people, but I know people who eat the whole packet of biscuits. You know, it's like, no, you just have one. No, no, no. If the biscuits are open, I'm gonna eat the whole 12 mellow puffs. Yeah. No, just eat one.
Yeah. So that moderating, that practice of moderation is then well, let's say you've opened the packet of mellow puffs and your tendency is to eat the whole packet. How can you then really be present and enjoy the one or the two mellow puffs that you're going to enjoy from that packet and train your body to just enjoy the moderate moderation until
So that you can kind of control that desire and that pleasure of eating the whole
Heading the whole packet. So there's a a practice of setting limits rather than just trying not to eat the whole packet of mellow puffs. Yeah. Does that make sense? So rather than when you've got strong desire or a habit that's really in place, then you just pull back slowly from the habit versus going cold turkey. And then you allow yourself the habit, but in a moderate way versus
all over the place. And so that that process of witnessing that we talk about a lot in yoga gives your mind that chance to have a measured approach. So that you can, when you're witnessing yourself in any given moment, you can say, your mind might say, Christina, you've just eaten half a packet of marshmallow mellow puffs.
You're not behaving in a moderate way, you know, like just that witnessing of yourself can then kind of give yourself that reminder. and then at that point, you might be able to change your behavior and act in a moderate way and say, I'll stop at six, then instead of eating the whole 12. so when you are
Experience. So most of the time we get distracted by our senses, where it's our hearing, spite, touch, whatever it might be. So that measure of moderation, it'll also, or the measure of is this habit good for me, or this use of my energy good for me, is noticing how you feel afterwards in your body, your mind, your energy, your emotions, your mood. because
Really, what you want to do is get to a point where you can enjoy the Mellow Puff without any sense of guilt or agit agitation. It's just like, yep, awesome. I did it. I didn't overdo it and I didn't underdo it, but I am moving in this direction with my goals, but I'm still gonna eat the Mallow Puff and I don't have any guilt about it.
And you don't then end up being preoccupied and your mind and your equilibrium doesn't get disturbed because you know the person that eats the whole packet of mellow puffs ends up feeling pretty agitated and guilty and they're like, I ate the whole packet, you know.
And obviously now we're coming into the practice part of the class. And when we want to really be practicing Brahmanchaea, Chayarya, it's a really important part of the practice, is just giving yourself and your senses time out from all the stimulation of life. Yeah. So which is why meditation is such an important practice, because you're shutting out all the senses mostly as much as you can.
But there's also other things that are recommended. You can try fasting. So having doing a short fast to give your ta your sense of taste a break from from life, or silence, going somewhere and just being in silence for a while, not talking to other people, which can give you a break as well. And like I said, meditation.
And these practices give your body and your mind an ability to just kind of pull back, like because if you think about like food is such a distraction. You know, and it's not a bad distraction, but it's like it's such a focus. Or modern day living with our mobile phones is such a distraction. or TV or it depends, it's different for all of us, but.
We spend a lot of time thinking about things that distract us. So when we can just kind of have a break from them, cold turkey, for just a little while, it gives your body and mind the ability to rejuvenate and and come back into internal balance. And that's Brahman Chayarya, the wise use of your energy, focusing, knowing what you want and
Letting go of those simple pleasures that distract you. Any questions? So it's about learning getting those tools to learn to focus up. Yeah. On on, you know, how to how to get, you know, change habit, I suppose, isn't it? Yeah. I see what you mean about the energy thing. I mean, often if you're stressed, don't you you need to you're using that all that energy on the stress and you need to go to bed early and
Yep. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. and and that's the thing, right? You're stressed. And so your mind, you the energy of your mind's going into this, this the cause of your stress. your yeah it drains you, you get tired, you know. or if you, you know, go to a fifty birth 50th birthday party, like the energy of that makes you tired on Tuesday. Like so there's a
You know, like so all of these things happen or if you're worried about something and then it drains your energy. So yeah. It's powerful stuff learning to just kind of stop all your energy going out in all of these other directions and just focus it into into who you are and what you need.
So what I thought we would do for the practice is some pranayama, because pranayama is really good at helping us
What's the word? Breathe, you know, calm our mind, instill our mind, and then get into the meditation from there. So you might have to follow your own instincts with the pranayama practice, because what we're going to do is the pranayama is about closing off the instincts, so the instincts, the senses. So we actually use our thumb to close off the ears.
So you can still hear, but not very well. Then we use the fingers to close off the eyes and then the other fingers to shut the mouth. So yeah, there you go. You got it. You're a natural. is this a pranayama technique? No, it's not. This is a meditation technique. okay. Whoops, sorry, I'm getting confused. So that's the meditation.
All right. And then the pranayama. Sorry. I was we'll do Nadi Shodada. That was my plan. But yes, so the meditation, we're closing off the ears.
And just shutting the eyes. So really firmly shutting the eyes so you can't see. Alrighty, but let's start with some what is it called? Nadi Shodana. So two fingers and coming up either into the third eye, or you can point them down into your thumb. And then your thumb closes off your right nostril and your ring and your pinky finger close off your left nostril, not at the same time. Just turn your hand around again, Kristen.
Like that. Yeah. Yeah. That's it. You've got. no, you're doing, you're doing. Yeah. So they these two, the the two piece fingers. Yeah. So they either go into the third eye or down into your thumb mound. And then the other two close off your left nostril. Yeah. Alrighty. So we'll take a big breath in, inhaling. And then as you exhale.
Inhale.
Close off your right nostril and exhale out your left nostril.
You can close your eyes, inhaling through your left nostril.
Plose off your left nostril, exhale out your right nostril.
Inhale through your right nostril.
Close off your right nostril, exhale out your left.
Inhale through your left nostril.
Close off your left nostril, exhale out your right.
And how through your right nostril.
Pose off your right nostril, exhale out your lip.
And how through your left nostril?
Pose off your left nostril, exhale out your right.
Inhale through your right nostril.
Pose off your right nostril, exhale out your lip.
And how through your left nostril?
Plose off your left nostril, exhale out your right.
Inhale three right.
Plose off your right, exhale out your left.
Inhale through your leaf.
Close off your left, exhale out your right.
Inhale three are right.
Close off your right, exhale out your left.
Inhalteriolate.
Close off your left, exhale out your right.
And how three you're right.
As you figure out, exhale out your lead trick.
And hand through your lift.
Close off your left, exhale out your right.
In fact, release your hands, keeping your eyes closed. Now you may need to rest your forearms on something to be able to do this meditation comfortably. And then we bring the two-piece fingers over our eyes, our thumbs into our ears to close up the ears, then the other fingers over our mouth.
Impress not too hard into your eyes, but so you don't damage anything, but just a light press into your eyes as well.
Slowly begin to gently release your hands from your face, and you can keep your eyes closed and
Allow the light to start to come back through your eyelids.
The sounds in the room to come back.
When you're ready, just begin to open your eyes.
Bring your hands together in front of your heart.
Bow your head towards your heart. Na ma ste.
