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LIFE WITHOUT SEX
In 1985, Adrian Piper
stopped having sex. A long time yoga practitioner, Piper committed herself to
the practice of brahmacharia (celibacy), which is touted as an important step
along the pathway to enlightment. Still resolutely committed 17years later, she
calls this practice the greatest spiritual gift she’s ever been given. “Brahmacharya
has changed my perception of myself, of others, of everything, she says.” It’s
been so interesting to realize how much of my ego-self was bound up with
sexuality and sexual desire. And the effect of my sadhana [spiritual practice]
has been most profound. I’m not sure I can put it into words. Let’s just say
there’s definitely a good reason why all spiritual traditions recommend
celibacy. Sex is grate, but no sexual experience-and I’ve had a lot of
them-could even come close to this.”
Piper is not alone in praising the transformational
gifts of brahmacharya. Celibacy plays an important role in the yoga
tradition-indeed, some would say, a critical one. The father of classical yoga,
Patanjali, made brahmacharya one of the five yamas, or ethical precepts in Yoga
sutra {chapter 2, verse 30} that all aspirants should adhere to. Other yogic
texts name abstinence as the surest and speediest way to boost our deepest
reserves of vitality and power. And as Piper notes, many other spiritual
traditions – including Buddhism and Christianity - incorporate chastity into
their codes of conduct. Spiritual luminaries ranging from Mother Teresa to
Ramakrishna to Mahatma Gandi all practiced celibacy for at list some period of
their lives. Gandi went so far as to call life without celibacy “insipid and
animal-like.”
But the thought that yogis shoudn’t have sex -
or at the very least should rein in their sexual energy - challenges our modern
notions about both yoga and sex. We live in radically different world from that
of the ancient yogis who spelled out the discipline’s original precepts. Those
yogis lived lives of total renunciation; today, we toss in a Friday yoga class
as a prelude to a gourmet meal, a fine wine, and - if we’re lucky - sex for the
grand finale. Even though much of yoga is based on ascetic precepts that counsel
denial, today the practice is often touted for its ability to improve one’s sex
life, not eradicate it - and some people even seem to view yoga classes as prime
pick-up spots.
So how do we square time-honored ascetic
traditions like brahmacharya with our modern lives? Can we pick and choose among
yoga’s practices, adopting those we like and sweeping the trickier ones like
brahmacharya under the yoga mat? Or can we fashion a modern reinterpretation of
this precept, adhering to the spirit of brahmacharya if not the letter of the
ancient law? In other words, can we have our sex and our yoga too?
The Gifts of Abstinence.
Ask students at a typical American yoga class if
they’re ready for yogic celibacy, and they’ll likely roll their eyes, furrow
their brows, or simply laugh at the absurdity of such a question. But according
to yoga’s long tradition, celibacy offers potent benefits that far outweigh its
difficulties. Abstention is said to free us from earthly distractions so we can
devote ourselves more fully to spiritual transcendence. It is said to move us
toward nondual, genderless state that
promotes a profound sense of relationship and intimacy
with all beings, not just select few. Celibacy is also said to support the
important yogic principles of truth and nonviolence, since promiscuity often
leads to secrecy, deceit, anger, and suffering. And it’s touted as a way to
transform our most primitive instinctual energies into a deeper, brighter
vitality that promises good health, great courage, incredible stamina, and very
long life.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a key fourteenth-century text, says those who practice
brahmacharya need no longer fear death. The Bhagavad Gita names brahmacharya as
a fundamental precept for a true yogi. And according to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra -
a sort of Bible for many western yogis - brahmacharya is a crucial practice that
leads to profound vigor, valor, and vitality. Patanjaly even says that
brahmacharya leads to disgust for the body and for intimate contact with others.
“For Patanjali, brahmacharya has a very strict interpretation – celibacy - to be
practiced at all times under all circumstances,” says George Feuerstein, founder
of Yoga Research and |