How do you live in balance? in harmony? with yourself and with all of life? Why is balance and harmony the key for feeling complete and whole?
In a culture of excess, can we enjoy and savor the sacredness of singular moments ~ each one woven into the next that becomes the flow of all that we know life to be.
The Sanskrit word ‘Brahmacharya’ is translated as non-excess.
Brahmacharya is the practice of moderation and right use of energy. It’s the practice of experiencing the pleasure, wonder, and the mystery of life without over-indulgence.
‘Brahma’ is Sanskrit for God or creation, ‘charya’ translates as “one who is established in”. Think of brahmacharya as walking in god consciousness ~ taking in all of life with your senses and in full appreciation of what is ~ as it is.
We all live with excess. Think about the means by which you have and acquire more. Does having more of something fill you ~ or ~ is it in appreciating the one thing or experience that is right now before you ~ and in its fullest capacity?
Brahmacharya is about moderation of the senses. As a moral discipline it is a key practice for managing our sensory cravings.
The secret to enjoy what you already have, and what exists all around you ~ is to enjoy fully the pleasure of now. It is also to witness the precious nature of each moment in its full capacity without the distractions of something more, something different.
When I am travelling, I enjoy taking in new food experiences in other cultures. When I come upon a restaurant that offers a plethora of whole (and where possible organic) foods, prepared lovingly – I can get way ahead of myself. The menu becomes an insatiable guide into the senses and I invariably order more food than I would ever need in one meal.
We experience something similar when we are indulging in a sweet dessert or maybe a glass of wine – how many of us have enjoyed with our senses so much that we continued to indulge until we far surpassed the point of no return and with that the sensation of excess and likely uncomfortable and beyond what was ‘just right’.
You enjoy the precious moments of your life in their full and reverent form without longing for anything else.
In the cravings of something more, ask yourself, “What is my true need in this moment?”
Let your inner wisdom reveal this true need. Give this to yourself.
When you can truly identify your needs, then you are far less likely to fill a void or what feelings you observe with something that does not truly inspire what is needed.
Practice the moral discipline of brahmacharya often with this simple yet important question:
“What do I need in this moment?”
followed by… “How can I give this to myself?”
You need to look to yourself with greater autonomy for the confidence to know that you can provide to yourself what you need.
If you would like to dive a little deeper into this auspicious practice, listen to this episode of The WISDOM podcast:
The Practical Wisdom of Brahmacharya:
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