EGO: I experimented with who I choose to interact with in a few ways. For people who I feel physically attracted to I have purposely avoided flirting or even interacting with them, and I have also attempted to interact on a more authentic level by checking my motivation. After a class discussion about desires being […]
I have taken away some very positive results from this experiment. Changing my motivation around who I interact with has opened up more possibilities for friendships and values-based relationships. A much greater awareness of where I have focused my sexual energy in the past, and where I would like to focus it in the future. […]
Axis Yoga’s teacher training program in Denver invites new students to apply one of many yogic principles to their daily lives. This student explores the application of Brahmacharaya (sexual abstinence) in her marriage. Her partner is also a student of the program, so they were able to collaborate and design their experiment together. By bringing […]
The experiment related to Brahmacharaya and it’s application to my life as a married person. This yama was chosen randomly, as the group size was the smallest and therefore, most appealing to me personally. In recognizing that the concept of Brahmacharaya is essentially explained by Pantanjali as abstinence of sexual behavior with the intention to […]
The hypothesis developed by myself and my husband is, “If we practice mindfulness within our relationship (which includes creating a spiritual intention for shared space, time, intimacy/sexuality) and apply principles of chastity in the sense of purity, specifically purity of intention through mindful lovingness, then we will experience a deeper connection to the divine through […]
Sitting in a gas station, my husband and I began a discussion of our sexual practices — the frequency, quality, spiritual aspects and satisfaction of these practices. I realized that this conversation was very “large” and almost too intense to have in one setting. We realized that this would be one of many conversations on […]
We had unexpected house guests, including two 5 year-old twins. I felt drained and overwhelmed almost the entire time that we had to do this assignment. I viewed it as an opportunity to learn more about what it is that I needed to “learn” and found out that I am not taking enough time to […]
In conclusion, I feel “out of time”, but this experiment has really caused a chain of events which has increased my awareness of my own self as well as deepened my connection with my husband. In many ways, we are still trying out new ideas, practices, and behaviors. Bramacharaya has increased my energy and focus […]
As part of Denver’s Axis Yoga teacher training program, students experiment with different yogic principles by applying them to their lives. This student chose to experiment with satya: truthfulness, word and thought in conformity with the facts. She thought, “If I can live my daily life in a way that is synergistic with Satya, life […]
When we first began exploring the Yamas my initial thought was, “how am I going to just pick one, I really need help in all of these areas.” Being faced with that reality presented me with a myriad of emotions. I felt shame, amusement, embarrassment, but above all else my ego felt humbled. Rarely do […]