Brahmacharya is a precept in yoga known as a Yama. Yamas are restraints or disciplines. In Sanskrit, Brahmacharya is the blending of two words: Brahma (God, creation) + Charya (to move, walk or follow). Brahmacharya is often translated as “walking with God.” While “walking with God” sounds mystical and elusive, it’s historically one of the prerequisite moral disciplines to the physical practice of yoga. Walking with God is a mindfulness practice in surrendering and acknowledging all that we are, and all that we have is on loan to us by our Creator to serve and edify others, and to honor the God of our creation.

We naturally want to own our lives, our homes, our cars and belongings, our careers, and our children. We’ve worked hard, planned for, and built the lives we have. I’d like to offer the ideas of ownership and authorship as two different positions on life. Authorship is credited to the original Creator. Ownership is assigned by the Creator to manage it’s creation. When we shift our thinking and gratefully acknowledge all that we “own” is really on loan to us, we become accountable to the Author of our lives. We conduct ourselves within our households, our careers, and in all relationships to others more charitably to fulfill our God-given purposes. We acknowledge our Creator for our attributes and the abilities He’s given us to achieve our positions and possessions. We can then loosen the grip we have on life, and life naturally loosens it’s grip on us. Service to humanity begins with open hands. Open hands can open hearts and minds.

I love what I call my “Street Bible.” It’s The Message by Eugene Peterson - the Bible translated into modern-day language. When we “walk with God,” one of my favorite passages from Galatians 5:22-24 describes it this way:

The Message

But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.