Love Letter to Brahmacharya

As always, the teachings keep arriving right on time! The last few weeks have been full and unpredictable and forcing me to adapt every day. So this one makes sense of what I have been contemplating. Ive been travelling. UK and Ibiza. A newborn in the family, an influencer retreat, group acupuncture ceremony, private clients, community living. Different beds, different roles, different people needing different things. Sister. Mother. Friend. Mentor. Healer. Space holder.

And between all of it, I noticed my energy and focus drifting more than usual.

Yes I got tired – but that was easy to recover with sleep, nature and food.

What I noticed, is how easily my fire gets scattered.

Forgetting things. Getting distracted. Pulled into conversations I didn’t need to be in. Into emotional worlds that are none of my business. Not easy, because I care.

Which brings me to the fourth teaching in the Yamas, the morals and ethics of how to interact with others.

Brahmacharya. The right use of energy.

More specifically, the right use of your life-force. The fire that moves you through your days, your relationships, your purpose.

The sages put it plainly: “A person who leaks energy cannot walk their path.”

Ouch. And yes.

My recovery came from moments of stillness or quiet. A walk by the sea. Lying in the sun. One thing at a time. Not asking everyone how they are.

As my mind cleared, I came back to my centre. And fullness.

And that’s the teaching.

Brahmacharya is about discernment. Recognising where your life-force, your fire, gets scattered. And consciously choosing to redirect it towards what matters most. Or first.

Because we usually associate using energy with being in action right?

But it also leaks in conversations, and in listening to, or managing other people’s problems. In pleasing others. Or in acting out of obligation.

Not everything requires your attention!

This one is my current mantra šŸ™‚ Along with mind your own business Dipika!

Saying all of this, my son’s world affects mine daily. And so the practice becomes less about doing and checking in on him, and more about keeping myself resourced to be steady for him.

Iā€™m not perfect. And sometimes forget to read the room. But my goal is to be more present and patient every day. Our hour together at the end of the day, with dogs and without phones is when we truly connect. Gold.

So what does Brahmacharya look like in everyday life?

  • One thing at a time
  • Not every conversation needs you
  • Speak with intention or not at all
  • Choose when to connect, rather than out of obligation
  • Let a message wait
  • Protect your fire. It lights your path.

These might seem like small changes but they have a big impact.

And if any of this resonates, I leave you with this:

Next time you’ve said yes and immediately regretted it, or got pulled into a story that is none of your business ask yourself, is this really where my fire needs to go?

With love in all ways

Dipika

Recent Journals