Rooted Sangha – Session Eleven Brahmacharya

Theme: Brahmacharya: Walking in Sacred Balance

There’s a beautiful stillness hidden in the word Brahmacharya.

It’s often translated as *celibacy*, but that narrow definition misses its heart. In its truest sense, Brahmacharya invites us to walk through the world in sacred balance — to honour our energy, our attention, and our desire as something precious, not to be spilt carelessly into every passing distraction.

In Sanskrit, Brahma means “the divine,” and *charya* means “to walk” or “to move.”

So, to live in Brahmacharya is to walk with the divine — to move through life in a way that keeps us close to our own source of light.

It’s a practice of remembering that our energy is not infinite. Each thought, each word, each action draws upon our inner reservoir. When we scatter it across too many demands, worries, or pursuits, we find ourselves depleted — restless, craving, unfulfilled.

But when we gather it inward, when we become conscious of how and where our energy flows, something changes. We begin to move with intention rather than impulse.

We become steady. Whole.

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The Quiet Art of Containment

Brahmacharya doesn’t ask us to suppress or deny desire.

It asks us to honour its sacred nature — to recognise that desire itself is not the problem; it’s our disordered relationship with it that leads to exhaustion.

In this light, Brahmacharya becomes a practice of containment rather than control. It’s the art of creating gentle boundaries around our energy — so that love, creativity, and devotion have a vessel strong enough to hold them.

It’s choosing nourishment over stimulation. Depth over excess. Presence over constant pursuit.

In a world that glorifies productivity and endless engagement, this is a radical act. To pause. To rest. To turn inward. To let desire ripen slowly instead of consuming it immediately.

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Everyday Brahmacharya

You might notice Brahmacharya in the quiet choices that change the texture of a day:

* Setting your phone aside during a meal so you can taste each bite.

* Saying no to one more commitment, and yes to an early night.

* Moving through your yoga practice with awareness of how your body *wants* to move, rather than forcing what looks impressive.

* Listening to your own breath before you speak.

Each of these moments calls the spirit back home. They remind us that our energy is sacred currency — not something to be spent without thought.

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Walking with the Divine

When we practise Brahmacharya, our lives begin to feel more spacious.

We no longer chase after every flicker of stimulation or give ourselves away in small, unnoticed ways. Instead, we walk with reverence — carrying our energy like a flame cupped between our hands.

And slowly, that flame grows steadier. It lights our path, and we begin to see that the divine was never somewhere else. It was here, in the quiet discipline of balance, all along.

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A Reflection for the Week

Where might I be giving my energy away too freely?

What small act of reverence could help me return to myself?

How would it feel to walk through this week as though every breath were holy?

This meditation might be a lovely way to restore your energy

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Giving Back

After covering room and fuel costs, all proceeds from Rooted are being saved to support a local cause, to be chosen together later this year — as a small act of Bhakti yoga, the yoga of devotion in action.

On 21st September we made our first donation (£110) to Kettering Samaritans.

This week we were low on numbers, just covering the room costs, so we haven't added to the fund - but our current total stands at £50. Our next beneficiary is Johnny's Happy Place.

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Going Forward

Thank you for taking a moment to pause — to return to the quiet pulse beneath the busyness of things.

May you begin to notice where your energy flows, and how it longs to be honoured rather than hurried.

May you learn the gentle discipline of tending your flame — neither smothering it with doing, nor letting it burn out through distraction.

May you rest in the spaciousness that comes when nothing is chased or grasped — when you move through the world with intention, reverence, and care.

And may you remember that your energy is holy. Every breath, every heartbeat, every act of awareness is a thread in the sacred weaving of your life.

With love, Vicki x