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Stone path with bamboo rails

The fourth ethical practice (yama, summary here) listed in the Yoga Sutras is brahmacharya, which translates literally as "to follow the Absolute".  It suggest a lifestyle that moves you towards knowledge or union with what is eternal.  Classically, it is interpreted as practicing sexual celibacy, or "continence", as it is often charmingly translated.  This might be done for a short period of time before a ceremony, for a matter of years in adolescence and early adulthood, or for a lifetime in the case of renunciate yogis.  Wikipedia has a decent summary.  But what does it mean for us householders?

I think the word continence is telling, because it points to a broader practice of containing our energies rather than dispersing them in pursuit of sensual experience.  If we want to move towards our highest potential, we need to harness all of our energies, and we can't do that if we're constantly using them to pursue transient rewards.  Imagine how many tasks don't get done every day because of Facebook!

Brahmacharya is a necessary bulwark against the pull of modern consumer capitalism, which seeks to harvest our attention and dollars with ever-more-seductive campaigns and offers.  There is also the siren song of text messaging and email, always tempting us with the promise of something interesting, something exciting, if we'd just stop what we're doing and take out our phone.  Technology makes it so easy to become distracted and dispersed, it has  become more necessary than ever to consciously train ourselves to be continent, to hold fast to what is precious and let the rest go.  Brahmacharya is thus a call for strategic moderation in a world of excess.  We don't need to deprive ourselves of sensual experience, but we are wise to "spend" our energies wisely in a way that nurtures us.

This month, we will explore how hatha yoga offers an ideal training ground for brahmacharya in this broader sense.  As spring energy surges out of the ground, let's practice channeling it towards what we truly seek.

 What is my pathway to health?

How do I access tranquility during tumultuous times?

How do I make the most of this precious life?

You may have heard that yoga will help you feel better
in your body. This is true! But it's also just the beginning.

Simple, enjoyable movement brings your body into balance.
Pain and tension begin to dissipate.
You feel more alive and awake, prepared to
act with confidence and clarity.

It's common to feel too busy or out of shape to join a class -
yet this is precisely why it's beneficial to come!

Yoga is a priceless investment in your long-term happiness.
You leave each class feeling more at ease in your body,
less bothered by stress, and more present to joy.

Here you will be welcomed into a community that
accepts you and supports your desire to grow.
Our highly-trained teachers will safely challenge and inspire you.

This humble studio can be your urban sanctuary -
the place you come to remember who you are
and who you want to become.

Welcome to Grateful Yoga

  • Warrior 2 / Virabhadrasana Dwi

    Focus

  • A diagram of the mind according to Vedantic philosophy

    Learning

  • Assisted savanasa

    Ease

  • Chair / Utkatasana

    Strength

  • Supported savasana

    Looking inward

  • Pranayama instruction

    Clarity