Brahmacharya is defined as Right Use of Energy. It is all about intentional living.

This is one of my most studied Yamas in the 8 limbs of yoga because I believe that all I have and all I do is currency.

My time is currency.

My words are currency.

My friendship is currency.

My body is currency.

My work is currency.

So when I look at how Brahmacharya connects with my faith, I also have to think about how these things are being “paid” towards Christ. Am I using my gifts the right way so that others can see His goodness and His love?

Self Reflection for Brahmacharya

How much of a 24-hour period is devoted to separating myself from reality (watching TV, scrolling social media, online shopping, etc)?

How much of my day is spent making lists to satisfy future versions of a life I am not yet living?

How many words are used to connect and encourage people in my life rather than complain, gossip, or criticize?

The Bible reminds me that life is fleeting, like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” James 4:14). This motivates me to use my energy for what I have been called to on this earth – Love as Jesus would love – with a sense of urgency for what truly matters. This is compatible with Brahmacharya because yoga also instructs us to use the present moment intentionally.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vineyard keeper. He removes any of my branches that don’t produce fruit, and he trims any branch that produces fruit so that it will produce even more fruit. You are already trimmed because of the word I have spoken to you.” (John 15:1-3)

Jesus himself modeled the need for rest and quiet time with God. He invited his disciples to “come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31), showing that rest is not laziness but essential for spiritual renewal and sustainable service. In a world that promotes busyness and exhaustion, Brahmacharya in your Faith honors the quiet that is needed to rebuild and recharge without guilt, shame, or reason.

Do I do more because I am worried that I won’t be respected/loved/noticed if I don’t?

Do I make excuses to put work ahead of my relationships and my worship because it is something I can control, and therefore, I feel more secure?

Brahmacharya doesn’t mean I have to take drastic measures and cut everything out at once. It only means that I move from being on autopilot to being a conscious liver of my own life. God has created us to be beautifully complex, and it is our calling to be intentional about how we spend our time, love and energy.

Brahmacharya in Marriage

Galatians 6:2: "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ."

I have been married for six years, and both my husband and I have brought the lessons from our previous marriages into our union. This was good but mostly challenging. We had defenses and debts the other had not earned, and we have spent a lot of time in individual and joint counseling to learn how to love each other the best way possible. This is work that will never end, as we are constantly growing each day, and, therefore, becoming new people. This means that the needle is always slightly shifting. Oh what fun…

But one thing I know we have cultivated is Brahmacharya between the two of us. In the midst of work, child rearing, teenage wrangling, taxi driving and overseas family-connections, we make time to connect. And when this is missing, we (mostly I) speak up. I refuse to lose him in the middle of our lives together. I don’t want to be a stranger. I don’t want to be a roommate. Sure, there are natural chapters of this during life, and it is important not to get hung up on the moments we feel distant. But if it ebs, then it must also flow.

It is something as sparse as praying together as he slips out the door in the morning – I am admittedly half asleep during these time of connection, but it always leaves a lasting effect.

Sometimes it looks like a quiet evening doing a puzzle instead of watching TV. Most of the time, however, it is popcorn-check-ins: texts, emails throughout the day, a touch of a back as I pass by in the kitchen, or 5 minutes of pillow talk before the books come out.

Whatever it is, we are protective of how we give our energy to each other. We are selective with our words and honorable with our intentions. Together, we build Brahmacharya alongside our faith to avoid being reckless and wasteful of our time, money, and energy.

If you are practicing daily faith with daily Brahmacharya, remember that it isn’t about assigning “good” and “bad” labels to everything you think, feel, and do. Instead, yoga and Christ both call followers to be conscious creators of their lives – living in a way that shows the values and beliefs of a Christ-centered faith. Being real with yourself and evaluating how you are spending “your currency” will only help deepen your yoga practice. Over time, you will begin to hear God’s voice gently nudging you to look at areas you are not fully living in, the ways you are wasting His provision, His gifts, or misusing His message for personal gain. If you are practicing a yoga lifestyle, this will get easier and easier with practice. Remember: Practice is the goal. Not perfection.