Intermeditate Class #2

Hi Class,

In tonight's class we will be weaving the Yoga disciplines of Brahmacharya (Moderation), and Samtosha (Contentment), a Niyama.

The practices in yoga beg us to make every effort to study for ourselves. To research, experiment, to look into what has come before us, and be willing to change wrong ideas when we find they are incorrect. Just because it is in writing, or someone we deem more prestigious than ourselves says something, does not make it so.

A teaching of Budda states:

“Believe nothing … merely because you have been told it… Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But, whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of All beings -- that doctrine believe and cling to and take as your guide?”

“Your work is to discover your world, and then with all your heart, give yourself to it.”
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Yoga and its disciplines were originally designed for and by the monks. As Yoga has evolved to be useful to the masses, adaptations on the practices and meanings have been made to fit into the lives of ordinary people with everyday lives. Originally this discipline meant to practice celibacy. As we know, if this were practiced by all, there would be no You or I. So, this next discipline, Brahmacharya, a Yama (Social Discipline), in particular, presented a need for a variation for the masses.

Self-Study (Svadhyaya)

A new young monk arrives at the monastery and, as with all new monks, he is assigned to help the other monks in copying the old cannons and lows of the Church by hand. He notices, howerver, that all of the monks are copying from copies, not from the original manuscript.

So the new monk goes to the head abbot to question this, pointing out that if someone made even a small error in the first copy, it would never be picked up. In fact, that error would be continued in all of the subsequent copies.

The head monk says, "We have been copying from the copies for centrueis, but you make a good point my son." So he goes down into the dark cves underneath the monastery where the original manuscripts are held as archives in a locked vault that hasn't been opened for hundreds of years.

Hours go by and nobody sees the old abbot. The young monk gets worried and goes downsstairs tolook for him. He sees the abbot banging his head against the wall, wailing "We forgot the 'R'! We forgot the 'R'! His forehead is bloody and bruised: he is crying uncontrollably.

The young monk rushes to the old abbot, asking, "What's wrong, Father?"

In a choking voice, the old abbot replies, "The word is celebrate! The word is celebrate!"

Making the effort to study for ourselves. Research, experiment, look into what has come before us, and be willing to change wrong ideas when we find they are incorrect. Just because it is in writing, or someone more prestegous than ourselves says something, does not make it so.

Budda states:

“Believe nothing … merely because you have been told it… Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But, whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of All

beings -- that doctrine believe and cling to and take as your guide?”


“Your work is to discover your world, and then with all your heart, give yourself to it.”
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*Brahmacharya:(Moderation)

Having moderation in all things. Controlling our passions and desires for pleasure: addictions to food, spending, work, drugs (especially caffeine, the most commonly over used drug), sex, etc. Being moderate also in moderation. Allow for joy to be present in life while cultivating a vigilant practice of Ahimsa(non-harming), toward yourself or others in your search for joy and happiness. Never let the need for any type of pleasure be in such excess that in controls you, instead of you controlling it. Keep alignment and balance in your life, stay connected with your Highest Self: mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Samtosha: (Contentment)

Equanimity, peace, tranquility, and acceptance of the way things are in the present, right here, right now. Cultivating a sense of joy in just being alive, an awareness and an appreciation of the moment, and not feeling bad for what isn't, but being able to truly enjoy what is. Samtosha is the ability to be honest ( Satya: truthfulness) with where you are right now, and be okay with your 'self,' and then growing and learning from that place. Samtosha does not mean 'putting up with' but rather, 'working from.' The yogi (a student of yoga) feels the lack of nothing, truly enjoying that which they have. Constant comparison with others creates discord and a lack of appreciation for what one has and who one is. So, see what you have, work to acquire what you NEED, and then be content. Set the goal to "Live Simply, so that others may simply live." (because) “The more we have, the more we have to manage.”


In our ansana practice we use Samtosha and Bramacharya to see where we are each day. To use our energy for the best good of all. We look to bring balance into our life through our Asana practice. We become aware of who we are and where we are each time we come to our mat, and then work from that place. We learn to recognize changes and to accept those changes as part of life and our learning process. We learn to stop comparing ourselves to others, to lose the desire to be better than someone else in order to feel content with ourselves and with who we are. We become and appreciate our 'self' and begin to recognize our 'True Self.' Our mat is the stage we practice playing out life and its outcomes in order to then step off our mats and into life with better awareness.