Today I am going to stick with the traditional meaning of brahmacharya because I believe it's often skipped over by modern day yoga practitioners due to a lack of understanding.
Brahmacharya has a wide range of interpretation. At its most extreme, brahmacharya means celibacy; but for those of us who have not chosen a cloistered life, it is understood to refer to divine conduct in the use of sexual energy. Sexual energy is the energy of life and rebirth and according to the practice of yoga, should be treated with reverence. So what does that mean exactly?
All of the yamas are interwoven, so a good place to start is evaluating how brahmacharya fits in with everything else we've talked about thus far. Let's look at some of the negative uses of sexual energy - rape, molestation, coercion, manipulation, infidelity, just to name a few. Abolishing each of these acts fits into one, if not all, of the yamas we've already discussed; nonviolence, truthfulness, non-stealing. I like the phrase 'purity of heart' when addressing brahmacharya. Sexual energy is such a powerful force that it really can be destructive in the hands of those with wrongful or thoughtless intentions.
Your personal understanding and application of brahmacharya will evolve as you progress in yoga. As you learn to control your senses and eliminate attachment to desires, you will also learn to harness and utilize the vitality inherent within your sexual energy. But for now, begin by identifying and avoiding lust where you can. Definitions of lust include words like 'uncontrolled' and 'overmastering.' Uncontrolled emotions often lead to thoughtless actions and as we discussed earlier, sexual energy can be a dangerous force in those who act thoughtlessly. Be good to yourself, be good to others, and never use sex as a weapon.
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