It is quite obvious, the festive season has officially kicked off :-) Christmas decorations are out, menu ideas all over magazines, Santa proxies in their street boot posing for photos with children, shops have entered a tough war of surprisingly early promotions, and I am sure you can find a free Yoga class around the corner ;-) I LOVE Christmas, I love the atmosphere, I love that EVERYTHING is put on pause on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I love that the whole family is reunited around the same table in a joyful mood, ready to have fun, eat well and share lots of love and memorable times. A few years ago, I realised that the Christmas scenario I am describing here is the one I have been lucky enough to experience all my life (or at least until I moved to Australia and spent a few Christmas away from my family), this scenario seems to be the too perfect scenario. One day though, I have opened my eyes a little wider and came to acknowledge my luck. Since then, there have been a few things that derange me about Christmas, the exact same things that I used to love, the main one being the excess in all shapes or forms – except the excess of food I have to confess… SHAME! ON! ME!!! Confession apart, Christmas is such a wonderful time of the year, a time of sharing, of generosity and joy, it is the perfect opportunity to revisit some primary notions of Yoga philosophy. I am thinking about the Yamas, and more specifically I am thinking about Brahmacharya and Aparigraha. And here I loose you… NOT! ;-) Let me explain these mystical Sanskrit words…
“Yoga is a system of self-investigation, self-transformation and self-realisation. Its practices and lifestyle aim to integrate the body, mind, heart and spirit and awaken students to their innate wholeness. It is a system that is designed to cultivate health and happiness, and a greater sense of self-awareness and higher consciousness. The foundations of this ancient system are generally attributed to a great Indian sage known as Patanjali, who presented a summary of the approach in what is known as the Yoga Sutra.” The Yamas represent the first limb of the eight-fold path of Yoga as defined by Patanjali, they are the first 5 ethical guidelines, our code of conduct, they involve our relationship with the external world and other people. The Yamas should be part of our ongoing Yoga practice, we should live them, on & off the mat. Brahmacharya and Aparigraha are two of the five Yamas.
Brahmacharya is translated as “non-excess”. “The practice of Brahmacharya is not some archaic form of moralizing, but rather a reminder that, if we use our energy wisely, we possess the resources to live a fulfilling life.” Brahmacharya implies moderation in what we do and in our behaviour.
Aparigraha means “non-possessiveness, non-hoarding, non-greed”. One aspect of Aparigraha is found in the idea of not holding on to material possessions. Does this mean we should give everything away? No. It means finding a balance between the two, possessing what is necessary for us to live, not more, or not too much more because yes we live in that “modern society” where defining what is really necessary for us to live becomes a bit of an exercise. But think about it, do non-permanent material objects bring you joy, happiness and piece of mind or are they source of stress and worries (from the fear of losing, damaging them), are they a way to affirm your status or a degree of financial success, are they taking control over your life to some extent? “What is necessary for us to live” means the basic objects to live a comfortable, safe and healthy life and they should be thougth of as simply tools that allow us to accomplish our goals. Bottom line: balance, as I said earlier.
So how can we make these two notions part of our Christmas celebrations this year (and hopefully the following years)?
* Start by sharing this article with your family and friends so they don’t think there must be something wrong with you ;-) Creating awareness around us is very important, most people are unaware and it is our role to educate them or at least share our personal values and explain where we stand and why.
* Once this is done, suggest organizing a Kris Kringle. Who will complain? Less headaches and time spent looking for the right presents in crowded shops, no last minute nervous breakdown, etc etc… I am pretty sure you know what I am talking about :-) Plus every single person will appreciate more what they got as a present as opposed to jumping on ebay the next day to sell all the things they don’t need or didn’t like….
* Eat & drink with moderation on Christmas Eve and/or Day. You won’t need to include some sort of intense exercise program or a stringent diet in your new year resolutions! And you’ll feel good about yourself, you’ll have more energy and vitality to focus on other things, your truly meaningful personal goals for next year. Can I mention I am drinking a glass of (organic) red wine while I am writing that post or is that inappropriate??!
* Aparigraha also means focusing our energy and life on things that cannot be lost. Acting from a place of love, the work you put into improving yourself, quieting your mind, learning how to behave in a moral and ethical manner, and learning how to act in accordance with your true inner self is something that can never be lost. At Christmas this year, donating a little bit of time, food, money (the money you saved from buying a profusion of Christmas presents) to the less fortunates of this world, the people in difficult circumstances, giving a kind word, showing compassion, volunteering for a cause or charity, helping others are the things we all should focus on and are the things that last.
I hope you get the idea, this is the message I wanted to address before we all get absorbed by the Christmas magic and bypass other considerations. Increasing our awareness and consciousness can only enhance our experience during these wonderful end of year celebrations, let’s put a smile on everyone’s face by using our energy differently this year. This is a way to push a little further our Yoga practice OFF the mat… Enjoy your pre-Christmas preparation beyoutiful people!!! I’ll be back before D Day to wish you a Merry Christmas :-)
PS: If you do end up focusing on “the things that can be lost” because this was too short notice this year, at least think local: support your local community, shop, eat, spend local, local shops, local farmers, that would be a fantastic first step already!!! :-)
(sources of the quoted texts: Yoga Australia & Yoga Journal websites)
