WEEK 4

50 minute class

75 minute class

Bramacarya means non-excess, or right action.

Svadhyaya means self-study.

Prompt 1: Brahmacarya, or non-excess, asks us to evaluate our relationship with our needs and desires. In the pursuit of emotional satisfaction, we often struggle with exceeding “just enough” of something we enjoy, and entering into the realm of “too much”, which can make us feel. depressed, lethargic, and generally off-balance. This can be linked to our relationship with food, sex, exercise, work, shopping, entertainment, and more. In our haste to feel emotionally satisfied, or to NOT feel uncomfortable feelings, we overdo our material pursuits rather than attend to our true needs. Consider how brahmacarya shows up in your own life? Do you frequently find yourself towing the line of “too much”, putting your time and energy into excessive material pursuits that don’t actually make you feel better? How might slowing down and tuning into your actual needs change this relationship? What would you gain by being less excessive?

PROMPT 2: “Svadhyaya, or self-study, is about knowing our true identity as divine, and understanding the boxes we are wrapped in. The process of knowing ourselves, and the boxes that adorn us, creates a pathway to freedom.” -The Yamas and Niyamas

Consider your many boxes - or layers of identities - that you wrap yourself in to present yourself to the world. The yogis tell us that we suffer most when we forget who we really are. Self study is about knowing our true identity as divine and understanding the boxes that we are encased in. The process of knowing ourselves create a pathway to freedom, and knowing begins with understanding our identities. Consider all of the identities that you might use when someone asks you about who you are, from your sexual orientation to your political views, from your university alma mater to your hometown. Write them all down. And then consider that none of these are who you are, at your divine core.

Who are you, really? What do you value? How do you show up for challenge? How do you treat people who think differently than you do? All of these help us on our journey to better understanding who we are at our core?

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