The fourth in the series of yamas (moral limitations) and perhaps one of the most misunderstood and much debated in our times … Can I, ask many yoga practitioners, to apply this quality to my life in the modern world? The common misconception that Brahmacharya only refers to celibacy means that it is often overlooked or regarded as irrelevant to our modern culture. The term brahmacharya is sometimes identified with celibacy, but while maintaining vital energy through the management of sexual activity is part of brahmacharya, this is a narrow view of this practice.

But let’s take it from the beginning.

Brahmacharya, in turn, means charya-compatible behavior with Brahma (the Divine, Absolute Truth, pure Conscience), or in a more free translation “walking with Divine consciousness.” In its very traditional sense, it refers to celibacy, to purity, that is to abstain from sex or in another context in faith in marriage.

In India the life of a man is divided into 4 stages (ashrama) first with the brahmachary who is up 25 and refers to the pupil’s life, which at this stage his engagement should be with his studies and not with sexual desire, the other 3 stages are grihastha (25-50 engaging with the family), vanaprastha 50-75 sharing with the world, teaching), sannyasa (75-end renegade, silence, time for inwardness century meditation).

In yoga philosophy, it is said that the sexual energy that is wasted can be transformed and used for higher spiritual purposes. The retention of sexual energy is transformed into subtle energy called “ojas”. It can stimulate the personality, create new neurons, improve brain power and calm the mind. Ojas, when preserved, creates ‘tejas‘, that is the aura or glow. The ability to maintain and to be able to transform this energy is the key. Otherwise, if sexual energy simply is bottled-up, it can be very dangerous.

In Sutra 2.38 from the text Yoga Sutras of Patanjali says:

ब्रह्मचर्यप्रतिष्ठायां वीर्यलाभः॥३८॥

brahmacharya pratisthayam virya labhah

• brahmacharya = Divine chastity, calmness/abstinence, purity, sexual self-restraint, constant presence with Divine
• pratisthayam = (sthaa= establish) firmly establishment
  
• virya = vitality, energy, courage
• labha = benefit, profit, conquest

In a freer translation: When walking with the awareness of the higher reality is firmly established, then great power, ability or vitality is gained.

 Brahmacharya in our lives

Has it happened to you that you have eaten so much that you feel you can not even move? Is that second coffee you’ve drunk that has created anxiety? Do you often stay awake till scrolling at Instagram and you can not wake up in the morning to go to work? Are you troubled by a nightmare from the thriller you saw recently?

In the modern world of searching for the constant enjoyment and satisfaction of the senses we live in, we can experience temporary pleasure often but this can get us out of balance and waste our energy. Consistency in the world of senses is one of the most important tasks of the practitioner of yoga and helps us to restore peace and harmony to our body and mind.

Literally, brahmacharya is translated as “walking with the consciousness of God”. Practically it means that it sends the mind inwards, it balances the senses and leads to freedom from dependencies and cravings. Yogis tells us that when the mind is released from sovereignty by the senses, aesthetic pleasures are replaced by inner pleasure.

Brahmacharya encourages proper energy use, so if your energy levels ring a bell at this time, think about whether your daily tasks absorb your vitality.

In order to become the best version of ourselves and to use our energy properly, we must first of all be able to hear what our body needs. So what are the behaviors that lead you to your greatest strength, helping you to make the right use of your energy that leads you to the best version of yourself?

Listen to your body! Think where you want to direct your energy! Our day is full of desires, but are these desires the right ones, or I just lose control …

On the mat

Our practice is full of desires, we desire to be present, to conquer a pose, to stop thinking about our desires. Which of all, however, is this desire that I must address in my practice today. If my deepest desire is to experience my true nature, putting my intention at the beginning of practice and going back to it all the time can really help me stay on the right path.

Hip openers can encourage our emotions to emerge safely. Shame, guilt, criticism are emotions stored in the second chakra. Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, or the pose of the one-legged dove, is a very good place to unblock them and let energy start moving again, as well as the cobra or Bhujangasana in which we can feel the energy from the second chakra grounded in earth moving up in the fourth chakra and expressing it as love.

Finally, walking meditation is a wonderful way to silently observe desires and thoughts as they come into our heads and remember that at every step we can really choose to walk with Divine consciousness.

Namaste

Marianna Thimiaki

The post Brahmacharya – Becoming the Best Version of Ourself! appeared first on Modern Yogi.

Asteya(non-stealing) is the third from the five yamas(self-restrictions) that are mentioned in the text Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. It says “to not steal or desire something that is not yours, to not borrow something without the permission of the owner, to not take others’ ideas”. As to the rest of the yamas there is a lot more hidden behind this. Which makes it mean more than just stealing something from somebody.

Obviously most of us are not thieves, but every day we take things like water, food, clothes, objects, etc. Greed leads to stealing. One of the most important reasons that our planet is on the crisis is that we buy things that we don’t need, this way we steal all these goods from the next generations, that maybe, because of the over-consumption they won’t have clean water to drink, fresh vegetables to eat or worst planet to live in.

Every year we exhaust the sources of the earth sooner than the year before. Today we are at the 7th month and we already started to borrow next years budget. This year that date was at the 1st of August, earlier than ever.

The ecological footprint is a way to measure the effects that have human activities have on Earth. In 2013 the Global Footprint Network estimated humanity’s ecological footprint as 1.6. This means that according to their calculations, humanity’s demands(natural sources) were 1.6 times faster than what the planet’s ecosystems renewed. Watch the video below for more information and which are the ways that you can help:

The fastest way to observe Asteya is exactly this, meaning your relationships with things. This quality is your friend that pats you on the back, reminds you and says “Do you really need this?”

When I started mountaineering and climbing, this was the first thing that I admired at the people of this community, or better the people of the mountain, self-sufficiency! One of the most important skills of a climber is to know exactly what he needs to put inside his backpack for completing the route, this means clothes, gear, water, and food exactly for the days that he will spend on the mountain. And when we say exactly, we mean nothing extra because the backpack will be on his back for the whole time. On mountain schools, the organization of the backpack is one of the most important lessons. On high mountain missions like Himalaya or Andes that climbing some times lasts for more than 10 days even a few grams count. These people have the same attitude in their everyday life. What a beautiful example, isn’t it?

We often say that there is abundance in nature, but abundance results from this exact practice, which is the correct management of the goods and correct management of the energy. And maybe some things are not ending for us, but they are ending for others, we are not alone! Take whatever you give, and the opposite of course, if you only take at some time everything ends, and in the opposite situation you become empty. Isn’t it the same in our relationships? Healthy relationships have this characteristic, both sides give from their energy and through this, it is created a correct flow of energy, a beautiful circle that allows to both sides to feed and bloom, if this is not happening there are problems and finally it is not good for any of them.

Asteya to Ourself:

• Observe your relationship with Time, do you have the time inside your day to eat properly, to have your bath, to relax, to rest, to sleep, to do something that nurtures you, that gives you energy? How much time do you steal every day from yourself?
• Observe if you compare yourself with others, comparison creates a camouflage and this, in one way, is stealing from our nature, from our humanity, we are all from a different fruit that has nothing to be jealous. Fashion, commercials, some people from our environment are pushing us to change, some times to feel bad about ourselves and create us the need to do a lot of make-up, plastic surgeries, etc. Don’t create yourself with the standards of the season or what other people want. You are perfectly imperfect the way you are, inside and outside!
• Buddha said, “Be where you are otherwise you will miss most of your life.” Don’t go away from thoughts and emotions, live the goods and the bad, face them, there are there for a reason.
• At your practice observe your mind, how it flies away and if it sticks to the breath, train it to be present, if it is not don’t judge, this is what it has learned, just observe it.
• When you understand that the source for all the solutions you seek outside yourself are always present inside you, then Asteya naturally happens.

Below you will find some statements that will help you come closer to this quality:

• I live in gratitude with all I have.
• I take and use only what is rightfully mine.
• I respect the possessions and the talents of others.
• I release my desire to own objects or talents I do not have.
• I appreciate my life as it is.

I will leave you with a story: Once upon a time there was a farmer in a village. One day his horse left and he lost it, immediately all the village came to his house to tell him how sorry they are for his bad luck, he told them maybe. The horse came back in a few days and brought with it 100 more horses, again this time all the village came to congratulate him for his good luck, but again he answered maybe. His son was trying to learn how to ride one of the new horses and broke his leg, once again the village came to say how sad they were, his answer was the same, maybe. After a few days, a war began and they didn’t take his son to the army because he had a broken leg.

Of course, Asteya doesn’t end with the things I mentioned, but these tips can be a good starting point for someone. Enjoy your practice!

Quote of the week: I have all I need!

Namaste

Marianna Thimiaki

The post Asteya and the Secret of Abundance appeared first on Modern Yogi.

The second of the Yamas is called Satya, the word means truth and in the yogic tradition, it refers to the quality of staying true in thought, speech, and action. To not exaggerate and not speak for things you don’t know. The word sat means “that which is, that which exists”, so this virtue negotiates the ability to see and communicating exactly what it is and not what you would want it to be. This maybe is extremely hard because the truth of the individual depends on his character, the way he grew up, his experiences, even his mood. Today you may find this color amazing, but the next day you may change your mind, for some people the sky is blue and for others is light blue, so we end up that truth is something subjective.

In the link below you will find the definition of the word truth, and I found really interesting that in all the categories (science, religion, personal) there isn’t something that is absolutely true, instead, it is defined as a really hard meaning and value that challenges a lot the world of philosophy. Even in searching the truth through science where it passes through extremely strict controlled procedures, it changes because of new discoveries, so the truth is being adjusted and enriched. (See the definition of truth on Wikipedia)

Applying Satya to Myself:

This is a really hard practice but at the same time really liberating. When we lie, the sages say, that we disconnect from our higher self, our mind is confused and we can’t trust our-self. Many times our Ego pushes us to do things that if we truly listened to our body or our heart we wouldn’t do. Usually, this behavior is activated because we want to prove something to others or even to ourselves, for example: if I succeed in this I have a value, or I will be accepted. In my yoga practice, for example, some days I will be tired or some poses are crossing my body’s limits and this is the time that the real yoga begins. How I face this situation, do I stay true on what my body and my energy are asking me to do? If I finally rest that day or make a step back from that pose, how do I feel? What feelings arise? It is the same for my life, for example, I maybe choose to do something because someone is pushing me, or because I don’t want to make him sad, or because I am thinking what they would say about me, or to avoid criticism, maybe I even feel guilty if I follow my truth. But, if I give space to what I am feeling and listen to myself, won’t I feel good? Feelings that come out by applying this quality are acceptance, freedom, caring and of course self-love. Life is better when you listen to yourself and when you love yourself for exactly what you are! And if we treat ourselves this way, aren’t we gonna do the same for our beloved ones…

Applying Satya to My Relationships:

To know my truth and express it is a valuable help in creating healthy and essential relationships, without compromises and egoism. This way I give space to the other person to truly know me and love me for what I am and not for what he thinks I am. Without masks and lies, the relationships I create are built on trust, which is really important because I feel free and secure at the same time. This way my relationships with others are building and evolving on stable & fertile ground and they can bloom.

Many times truth hurts, people often tend to hide behind the phrase “but, I am honest” and hurt their friend. One of the most important things that we should be aware of while applying Satya not to go against non-violence (ahimsa). If we find ourselves in a situation like this we must be really careful about how we will express our truth, or if we must stay silent to not cause pain. If we finally decide that there is no other way than to speak, then we should act with compassion and kindness. Ancient rishis advise us before we speak to take a step back and think: Is it really true? Is it necessary? Is it useful? Is it kind?

Patanjali Yoga Sutras says: ” To one established in truthfulness, actions and their results become subservient.” This ultimately means that by continuing to practice honesty, our life experiences become the results of this honesty and truth, and no longer based on fear and ignorance.

Practice:

• In the practice of asana once more our breath is the key. The space that I create for the breath to exist inside the shapes is the sign that shows that there is also space to hear, feel and observe.
• Space is really important so we will be able to see the truth. Every one of us has found himself in situations that we don’t know what we really want, or what we should do. In this situation, we should take a step back. Meditation can help us clean the scenery, that is sitting in a comfortable position with our eyes closed, our hands placed in our hearts, make the question that bothers us and see what is coming up. Be patient for the answer, give time… just continue the same practice until you truly listen, you will know that moment… 
• Asato mantra from the Upanishads is used by many practitioners as a daily acknowledgment of moving towards truth. Chanting is the fastest way to connect within and concentrate:

Asato Maa

Om Asato Maa Sad-Gamaya

Tamaso Maa Jyotir-Gamaya

Mrtyor-Maa Amrtam Gamaya

Lead me from the unreal to real.

From darkness(ignorance) to light(knowledge).

From death to immortality.

Quote of the week: Stay true, Stay you!

Namaste

Marianna Thimiaki

The post Satya and the Meaning of the Absolute Truth appeared first on Modern Yogi.

Yoga philosophy is ancient and at the same time it is timeless. This is the reason why in our times it is one of the most effective tools that the modern man has in his disposal who looks for a balanced and a better everyday life that allows him to evolve.

In this context, it is important to focus in the quality of Ahimsa, which means “non-violence” and how we can improve our everyday life, if we transport it through our yoga practice to the way we act and perceive our life and the world around us.

How non-violence will improve your life

One of the fundamental principles in the yoga philosophy is that each one of us needs to take responsibility of himself and his actions.

Ahimsa, as an idea and as a practice, is the vehicle that will lead you to self-improvement.

Personally I like to perceive and to apply Ahimsa by taking a step backwards. I think that rather than reaching the point of violence and in order to live without it, we need to deal with respect everything around us.

Based on that, in every action that respect or kindness is missing, it does create a fertile ground for the cultivation of a toxic environment of violence.

Living in the fast & modern rhythms, it is not always self-explanatory so that we realise the consequences that our actions and our words have. Maybe, we are not even conscious about the violence that we put our self into. So, the first step is to act with compassion and also to receive it: is to be more conscious in our daily life.

By cultivating observance and awareness to this direction, the profit is double. We learn how to act with respect to the others and at the same time, how to inspect the lack of respect to us, either if this comes from us, or it does come from external sources.

By living our daily life through the prism of respect and maybe through non-violence, we manage to re-emerge and draw the positive side on things, and at the same time we learn to appreciate everything that is truly good for us.

That’s why if Ahimsa becomes a quality that we decide to incorporate in our lives, it helps us to create a balanced environment without toxicity. This kind of environment helps us to evolve as human beings.

What non-violence means…

… to others

In every relationship and interaction with others, it is important to realise when your acts and speech overcome the limits. Maybe you act in a way that hurts their feelings? Be a conscious listener and interlocutor. Act without ego but instead act with pure intentions. The relationship of respect that you build goes both ways, therefore you have improved your life.

… to the environment

Use whatever you need without abusing, and without destroying. Let greed go and adopt a kind attitude to the planet and to whatever is a part of it. Use only what you need and in the quantity you need them. Recognise the wisdom and the value that all the things have, small and big.

… to your body

Eat consciously. Exercise and listen to your body. Let the bad habits go and treat your organism with respect in order to have a good health. Even in your yoga practice don’t overdo it and respect your limitations and your own possibilities. Adopt practices of self-care and treat your body as something sacred.

… to yourself

This is maybe the hardest way to practice non-violence. It takes a lot of work and patience. But when you succeed in it, you have definitely improved your way of living to the best.

Train your mind to let go the thoughts that say that you are not enough and not worthy. Release the syndrome of guilt and love what you are. Respect you emotional limits.

You must be the first one that doesn’t act violently to yourself, and by doing this you will attract people around you that will treat you with the respect you deserve.

I want to say goodbye with the inspiration that each one of us can take a step back and anticipate the acts that will hurt, if we act with respect and compassion to everything and everybody around us.

By changing yourself, you can change the world around you.

Konstantinos Charantiniotis

The post Ahimsa: Living «Without Violence» by Konstantinos Charantiniotis appeared first on Modern Yogi.

For every person, yoga means something else, for one person it may be physical activity, for someone else maybe it is meditation, or maybe chanting, but definitely the word yoga which means “unity” is something more than a 60-minute class, it is something more than the ability to stand on your hands, twist and sweat.

So, what do I do if I want to go a little bit deeper into the subject of yoga? Where should I start? Or another question that they tend to ask me really often is what to read? I got the answer… Going some steps further (or it is more correct to say some steps back) we find the Yamas & the Niyamas which are the moral ethics and self-observations that are refereed at the text of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. 

These Yamas & Niyamas are the necessary ingredients of a yogis life that can help me become a better human and to live my life with a quieter mind. I won’t get into more details but straight to the action, because yoga matters if it is applied to our everyday life, on our routine, on our relationships…

In the following weeks, we will take a journey in philosophy and we will see how we can apply it to our life. We will analyze one by one the Yamas & the Niyamas and we will work on them by observing them and making even a small change, one little step at a time, this way the small steps will be added and will make a big one. It is a journey that I do every year at the start of the season with the students, and every year my relationship with these qualities is getting better. Accept the challenge and watch your life transform.

Αhimsa – Non-Violence

Nonviolence in thought, speech, and action, love for every living being, compassion, kindness, justice.

So Ahimsa is not only referring to the action but also on thought, it is referring to emotional violence, verbal violence (guilt, judgment, gossip) on everything that exists in nature, at all the living beings and not living elements of the planet, including ourselves. Ourselves is the most important aspect because everything starts with us.

Violence is born from fear, weakness, ignorance, and anxiety. The word ignorance means the ignorance of our true nature, to not know the perfection and wholeness of my existence, the inability to see the Divine that lives inside me. When I know this Truth I don’t compare myself with others, there is no competition because I know the Truth, that I am whole. This knowledge results in experiencing equanimity.

In our times’ violence is everywhere, on food, at the clothes that we buy, on our love relationships or at our relationships in general. Yes, this is true, have you ever thought how the food that you eat comes to your plate? or all this food that you buy but you don’t really need it? you also maybe throw it away sometimes. Or the perfect cheap t-shirt you bought from the well-known store chain, have you ever thought that in the order you have all these goodies some small children work in terms of slavery. Isn’t this an act of violence? and you participate in it. Or at your love life how many times you act from your ego and not from your heart?

Unfortunately, violence is at the system, in most advertisements that are trying to convince you that you are not good enough so you have to buy their product, we grow up under these terms and it is really hard to get away from this circle, we are entering a race that never ends acting with violence first to ourselves.

Violence is everywhere in the thoughts we have about ourselves, on fast food, in minimal sleep, at the never-ending stress, in the compromised relationships and all these just to fit in the system and to be accepted. From who? Finally, we end up suffering from panic attacks, insomnia, anorexia, autoimmune, etc. And for what?

You can change that, one step at a time, it is not easy to step out of your habits, your comfort zone, the way you grew up, but it can happen!

Below you will find some exercises, some things that you can observe making and this way you will make a small step, a step so you can escape from this meaningless circle, entering a path with destination love and compassion, the qualities that already exist inside you and wait patiently for you to discover them:

• Observe the thoughts you do for yourself, how much do you criticize? for example, I am not pretty, I am fat, I have a big nose, I can’t do that, etc. or how much you compare yourself with others.
• Observe the violence you put your organism into through your diet, the lack of physical exercise or too much physical exercise, smoking, alcohol.
• Observe how much violence you let others do to you if you set your limits and protect yourself.
• Observe your relationship with the market, do you really need everything you buy? or do you shop things you don’t use? Take exactly what you need, the planet and the goodies that it gives to us are not endless, let’s leave something behind for the next generations, what do you think?
• Observe your relationship with nature, for example, if you throw rubbish outside of bins, or if you use too much plastic, do you recycle it? Make a change, use the reusable mugs for your coffee or tea instead of plastic. If you have lost your connection with nature schedule a weekly walk on the mountain or at the sea, it will help you reconnect and respect her.
• At my yoga practice, I focus on the breath, does it become choppy & fast or how much tension does it hide, how much do I push myself beyond my limits? What thoughts do I make if I can’t do a certain pose, how often I injure myself?
• Don’t beat yourself up in practice, embrace your body, don’t try to fit into someone else’s body, the perfect yoga body is the one that you already have.
• The next time you will step on your mat and every time you do your practice before you start to place your palms in front of your heart center and give the promise to yourself that you will act from there, building your relationship with love.

Ahimsa is the most important of the Yamas & the Niyamas and if you can understand it fully you don’t need the rest, that’s why it is the first in the list. Embrace it and feel the results. Devote yourself to this quality and you will live the yogis’ life, don’t let anyone tell you how just follow your heart. The most important responsibility that I have in my life is to take care of and protect myself, to keep myself healthy physically and psychologically. By applying Ahimsa first to myself and then to others will help me live with a calmer mind and a heart filled with love. Let your actions speak for you and make the world a better place. Isn’t this what we all look for? What are you waiting for?

Have a good practice! Quote of the week: Do no harm but take no shit.

Namaste

Marianna Thimiaki

The post Ahimsa – Make your World a Better Place appeared first on Modern Yogi.