Wheeling along this journey in our lives, we turn onto the path of the FOURTH YAMA: BRAHMACARYA, which is translated to mean: BALANCE...
WHAT A PERFECT TIME OF YEAR TO EMBRACE THE DISCIPLINE OF BALANCE IN OUR LIVES~ the planet Mercury has just gone 'direct', and we are in the midst of the Holiday Season....where we encounter frantic schedules of shopping, food prep, partying, shopping, wrapping, rushing, hurrying, shopping, driving....BALANCE in the midst of this season of 'giving'....BALANCE in the midst of LIVING...
Where do we begin? For me, the very beginning of each day starts with my meditation....sitting down, breathing mindfully, grounding myself with my mantra...and, no matter what the day holds, beginning each day with this quiet time allows me to be more present to the rest of my day. As Deepak Chopra says: "The hour one spends meditating is for the other 23 hours in the day." It sets the tone of being a little more centered in the midst of life's ROLLER COASTER RIDE....
Oftentimes, Brahmacarya is associated with sexuality, and the expectation that one should be celibate, and thus, more enlightened...Brahmacarya is not a vocation of abstinence, but rather an invitation for temperance...to temper our thoughts, our words, our actions...to strive for a healthy balance in our lives.
During this season of hustling and bustling, are we also SCHEDULING TIME for quiet, solitude, a walk with nature, a quiet talk over tea with a loved one, time to just BE? While we share festive meals and snacks and drinks with business associates, neighbors, family & friends, are we consciously choosing to prepare healthy meals for other times of day? or, even to fast from specific unhealthy foods? As we're 'booking' our visits & party plans, are we also scheduling in quiet times to enjoy the decorations we put up, the gifts we so beautifully wrapped, the lights on neighborhood houses, as we take a stroll around the block?...
The choice is ours to make: time for ourselves AND others? or, just taking care of our list of things to do? We could CHOOSE to write on our "TO DO LIST": 'time for a soak in the tub'; or 'time for my yoga practice'; or both even; YOU get to CHOOSE.
May this Holiday season be extra-special because you are GIFTING YOURSELF with balance, with peace, with something simple that 'feeds your own soul'....
Om shanti, om peace~ as you wheel through your Christmas and the Holidays and New Year's... with balance & bliss!
