Brahmacharya

Moderation.  Nonexcess. The right use of energy. Brahmacharya is sometimes represented in interpretative writings as the practice of celibacy. But when one narrows the broader meaning of using our energy in ways that bring us closer to Brahma (God, the Divine), we miss the intent of the original creators of this Yama. Add in our modern sexual practices, and we tend to just bypass this Yama altogether. 
   Alternatively, we can take a broader view of Brahmacharya as the practice of using our energies in ways that serve our divine purpose.
  Energies wasted on excessive attention to anything that does not serve a higher purpose can pull us away from our pursuit of communion with the Divine.
  The practice of Brahmacharya calls us to self examination, to examine our use of our time and resources. To ask ourselves if we are spending our energy in pursuit of our higher calling. And the most important thing to remember here is to also use moderation in our self examination. 

Namaste,
Lisa