4 Ways to Practice Brahmacharya with Your Cell Phone

BRAHMACHARYA (MODERATION) YOGA PHILOSOPHY CHALLENGE

 

 

For a recent Yoga Philosophy Challenge inspired by brahmacharya, 95 people joined me in limiting our cell phone use as much as possible for a week.

Brahmacharya is the 4th yama (yogic restraint) described in the Yoga Sutras, and can be translated as moderation.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra (2.38) says that “moderation, at its best, produces the highest individual vitality.” TKV Desikachar expands on this in his translation by saying, “Nothing is wasted by us if we seek to develop moderation in all things. Too much of anything brings problems. Too little may be inadequate.”

Modern technology is obviously wonderful for so many reasons. But when it comes to our cell phones, so many of us our downright addicted. Unless I purposefully arrange otherwise, my phone is the first thing I reach for in the morning, even before I drink water, brush my teeth, or do yoga. They’re purposely made to be addicting, but that doesn’t mean we can’t fight it.

 

Here are 4 ways you can practice brahmacharya to help your cell phone addiction:

 

1. Hide your “endless scrolling” apps

The “endless scroll” feature in a lot of apps (like Instagram and Facebook) is a huge trigger for addiction tendencies. I’ve hidden those two apps deep inside folders within folders on my phone, to try to break the “muscle memory” of tapping those apps open every time I pick up my phone. If you do need to scroll, try setting a timer for yourself, so that you stop scrolling after five or ten minutes.

 

 

2. Turn off unnecessary notifications

I’ve also turned off all notifications other than those from Whatsapp and Facebook messenger, which I realized are the only two ways people would try to reach me urgently. I’m not the best at responding quickly to messages, but my peace of mind is better for it. Any notifications you get from random Facebook groups or Instagram likes are unnecessary grabs at your attention that benefit the app more than they benefit you.

 

3. Make time for “no phone” time

Maybe it’s agreeing not to use your phone at all during meal times. Maybe it’s keeping your phone on airplane mode overnight until after you’ve finished breakfast in the morning. Maybe it’s purposefully leaving your phone at home while you go visit a friend. Whenever you can, try to plan times when you’re completely away from your phone.

 

4. Use an app to monitor and limit your phone usage

Often, we don’t even realize how much time has passed while we’re looking at our phone. I really like the Offtime App, which allows you to set a time limit for how long you want to use your phone each day. It then sends you warnings every ten minutes of use.

 

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Asana for Brahmacharya

 

Brahmacharya deals with our sacral chakra (just below the navel), related to our reproductive system and our ability to be creative and productive. With less time on the phone this week, you’ll free up a lot of mental space for creativity and productivity, so let’s practice some creative sacral chakra asana, like cat and cow (bidalasana) and sacral rolls (from all fours, rolling the spine out in all directions.)

 

Saraswati, the goddess of creativity, who came to earth in the form of the Saraswati river, is said to reside in the sacral chakra, giving us our creative power, so you can invoke Saraswati in these movements by moving creatively and fluidly.

 

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Want to be a part of the Yoga Philosophy Challenge? Each week we go through one yama and niyama, challenging ourselves to weave those principles into our lives in specific ways.

At the end of each week, I’ll provide a little recap of what we experienced as a group here. To be ahead of the curve, sign up to join the weekly challenge here!

 

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