The Limbs of Yoga: Control Over The Senses

Control over the Senses (Brahmacharya)

Control over the Senses (Brahmacharya) is very often understood as complete control over the sexual instinct. Which makes for lots of smutty sniggering ha ha, but tends to remove the deeper understanding of how our senses can completely run our minds and bodies, leading to sub optimal results. Brahmacharya means to control all senses, so the mind is clear and able to respond to siutations from a yogic position, not a need to have fleeting pleasure that keeps us stuck in a cycle of desire and suffering. When we are trapped by desire, we are trapped by attachment, whether it is for physical pleasures that are far beyond the sexual, and encompass anything that we use to alter our states.

Yoga is the ultimate state-alterer, and working through the eight limbs is the perfect prescription to get us to our natural state of living, in flow and as one. Where are you out of control with your senses? Are you zombie like walking to the fridge or the bar, binging on TV or social media, or using sex as a tool for momentarily escaping parts of your life. Just observe this week where you are mindless to your senses, and without limiting yourself or reacting, spend a moment observing what has precursed reaching for the chocolate bar, and work on the trigger before seeing if you really need the reward.