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Los Angeles chiropractor - sensual pleasuresBrahmacharya is non-sensuality, a yama (code of conduct) that warns against attaching to sensual pleasure, be it drugs, food, or even extreme risk-taking (e.g., speeding on the freeway). However, brahmacharya is most often discussed in the context of sexual pleasure. As a requirement for reproduction and fueled by the cyclical or spontaneous release of hormones, sexual release is a universal animal trait, predating the species by a billion years. As both a primary instinct and a source of pleasure, sex is a function on which we can easily lose our grip.

It is not that sexuality is wrong on any level, nor are food, drugs, or any other sensual pleasures, for that matter, but over-indulgence in any sensuality can lead to attachment and, ultimately, addiction, and thus a loss of our connection to the Source. In other words, when we become attached to or addicted to anything, be it a person, item, or experience, we merely emphasize our separateness. Everything we need is already within us. It is not material items or outer-directed experiences that fuel us, but instead, how they make us feel. It is why some people jump from experience to experience (or from person to person) to feel something inside themselves that they actually think is coming from the outside: power, intimacy, freedom, connection—all these things are what we feel when we do drugs, jump out of planes, or have casual sex.

But those feelings come from within—they are not outer-originating. Thus, ascribing them to outer items or experiences is one illusion that comes with a heavy cost: dissatisfaction, unfulfillment, and emotional pain. We suffer because the feelings we associate with the activity, person, or item are often short-lived and inevitably dwindle in time, increasing our sense of separation from the Source (and thus all other things in existence).

Further, all sense-indulging activities release our inner energies in a downward, or gravitating, direction. In other words, our energy condenses, gets heavy, and descends through physical and energetic channels. This is not always a bad thing, as physical manifestation or creation requires this downward movement of energy to form mass; however, when carried out in a non-creating manner or multiple times through overindulgence, it saps the energy from a person.

West Hollywood chiropractor - inner energyBrahmacharya is the practice of harnessing our inner energies so that they may be consciously directed upward toward the brain. Moving our internal energy in this way toward the brain results in shifting our consciousness toward a higher awareness, a higher reality, if you will. We can also use this harnessed energy—emanating it outward—for the unique service we provide to the world.

Dispensing one’s energy in this manner creates several valuable effects. To begin with, others benefit from the outward-directed energy. It might be in a healing capacity or an awakening, or your energy might be nurturing to others—that will depend on your natural disposition. But any number of effects can occur from this outwardly directed energy, which could potentially strengthen another’s courage, persistence, or resolve—and people will feel it—they will feel inspired in your presence. It is what makes magnetic people so attractive—an inner-directed energy flowing outward, causing those within their sphere to vibrate at certain frequencies. Brahmacharya is one clear path toward developing this type of magnetism.

Again, this is not to suggest that any sense-indulgence is bad, particularly since anything can be done in the right consciousness, but it is the attachment or addiction to that sense-indulgence that leads to convoluted consciousness and dissipated energy. So, it is not just promiscuity or casual sex that can be problematic, but also overindulgence in masturbation or pornography. All these aspects of hypersexuality lead to a chronic loss of energy and an increased sense of separateness. The more we separate from everything else in our minds, the more we become distinct, the more we operate in ego, and this is the primary cause of suffering. Separateness leads to duality, and by necessity, we must experience both sides equally: pleasure and pain, pride and humility, desire and disgust—all opposites that make up the material dimension of mind and body. Only in oneness do these distinctions dissolve, and lack of brahmacharya is one definite obstacle in realizing oneness.

Brahmacharya, along with ahimsa (non-harming), is said to make up the Royal Virtues. While ahimsa is to respect and honor others, understanding that they are no different than us—we are all manifestations of the Absolute—brahmacharya is the respect and honoring of ourselves. Truth exists in the premise that we exchange energy with whomever we have sexual contact; it is one of the most potent methods of energy exchange between people. To convolute our own internal energy, randomly or devoid of emotional intimacy, is one of the most self-devaluing things we can do, particularly when we pair it with sensory self-indulgence (drugs/alcohol). There is simply no difference between what a chronic overeater or drug addict feels and what one feels as a result of multiple empty sexual experiences. No doubt, as with any drug, the first 5, 10, 100 times feel good—sex triggers a dopamine release, after all—but do it that one time too many, and you will feel the pain that often accompanies over-indulgence in this behavior.

Coachella chiropractor - respecting othersAny experience can be brought forth in the consciousness of ahimsa and brahmacharya, even lovemaking. Lovemaking takes on a sacred, divine air when carried out from a place of intimacy, confidence, and presence. It becomes a sharing of energy, love, and appreciation. This type of interaction can induce healing, self-worth, and genuine closeness. In essence, it represents the oneness our souls so desperately crave. Sexual intimacy in the spirit of brahmacharya is as uplifting as the lack of brahmacharya is degrading.

So, practicing brahmacharya means being respectful to and honoring yourself. It is not a morality trip—please feel free to test it yourself if you disagree—it is an understanding of the universal flow and exchange of energy. It has been said that those who practice the Royal Virtues become so internally strong that their thoughts begin to materialize immediately. Think about the depth of this: when your full consciousness is directed at non-harming of yourself and others, the purity of your thoughts has the power of instantaneous manifestation. If that doesn’t inspire you, maybe nothing will. But only when you master brahmacharya can you unleash this power. It’s worth a try.

Positive Thinking - Dr Nick Campos“Can you please hand me your purse so I can look through it?” My student stared at me stunned; she did not know how to answer. “No, seriously, hand over your purse, I’d like to see what’s in it, maybe something I’d like to take for myself.” She said slowly and with great care, “No, I’m not handing over my purse.”

“Why are you being so negative?” I asked. There was laughter in the room. The attendees got the point. The female student commented that she thought it best to always stay positive. We had been discussing the futility of one-sidedness in being, behaving, and thinking, and I was trying to convey the impossibility of being only one way, a perpetually “positive” person, for instance. I wanted the class to see that there are plenty of reasons to be negative in life, it only depends on the context. In other words, negative thinking is just as valuable as positive thinking despite what so many well-intentioned teachers have taught us.

We have two sides to us in every facet of life we can think of. We are proficient at some things, deficient at others: I am a skilled chiropractor, a fairly good cook, and I have ample experience at training dogs. However, I cannot fly a plane; I know zero about computer programming, and I have almost no experience with acting. Equivalently, all people are kind and good-mannered when being supported in their endeavors. They can also become downright mean and nasty when challenged. Is this a character flaw? Hardly. We are at times dumb, other times smart; we have loads of energy on some days but feel tired and rundown on others. This pattern is found throughout our entire being – there are no exceptions. Nobody is all one way or another.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/Dopaminergic_synapse.svgThis is especially true when it comes to our thinking patterns. We have developed a neurohormonal system that rewards us when we encounter things that support us like food, sex, and shelter. The hormone involved is dopamine, and we get a rush whenever we “score” what we want (desire, need, love). Alternately, we also secrete hormones like epinephrine and norepinephrine which are responsible for our stress reactions (fight or flight) when we encounter things that challenge us. These are primitive systems that have definitive functions revolving around our survival. If we were to have only one or the other, we would surely perish as we would starve or be unable to recognize peril due to a lurking predator or some other danger. Our most primitive neurological system is a balanced interplay between two opposing sides.

So why does there seem to be this push toward always thinking positively then? Positive thinking has its roots in the early 19th century as a part of the New Thought movement. Part metaphysical, part Christian theology, New Thought taught a way of thinking, which was understood to define one’s reality. Not only are one’s thoughts the creator of one’s reality but also that positive thinking could impact the entire world for the better. William James, the father of American psychology, branded New Thought as “the religion of healthy-mindedness.”

Norman Vincent PealeNew Thought was influenced by such luminaries as Emanuel Swedenborg and Ralph Waldo Emerson. But the most well-known and influential teacher of positive thinking was the American Protestant clergyman and author, Norman Vincent Peale, who wrote the best-selling book, The Power of Positive Thinking. The basis of this book is that the mind controls how the body feels, and thus, by releasing negative energy and emotions, infinite energy is given to the body through God. The book asserts that happiness is created by choice and worrying only inhibits it and should be stopped. A foundational premise in the New Thought movement is that negative thoughts can lead to physical ailments and disease. Positive thinking, then, is the basis for a peaceful, positive life, which includes health, professional, and financial well-being.

With all these potential benefits to positive thinking, why wouldn’t we want to adopt such a practice? In theory, I think we would: It is clearly more uplifting to think positively. And in times of crisis, optimistic thinking is a powerful equilibrator to offset panic and hyper-emotional thinking. There is a power in believing, so why wouldn’t we want to believe the best?

However, a hell-bent attachment to positive thinking can also work against us. Numerous circumstances warrant bringing attention to that which we call negative. Being alert in public, keeping one’s eyes open, and being on the lookout for danger is never a dumb move. Nor is avoiding an infatuation with a potential romantic, business, or community service partner, which is paramount to keeping oneself safe in person, property, and/or reputation. When one is too focused on “keeping things positive,” they allow themselves to drop their guard and invite danger in the form of predators and charlatans. Like with anything, it is healthy to maintain a balance between trust and skepticism, enthusiasm and nonchalance, and attention and disregard.

Positive Thinking - Dr Nick CamposMy observations of positive and negative thinking have led to a particular awareness: People who tend to gravitate toward more negative, pessimistic thinking should, indeed, make a concerted effort toward positive thinking. Those who are more inclined toward an optimistic, uplifted frame of mind, should work hard toward strengthening their negative thinking. Is negative thinking too harsh a word? Then how about cautious thinking, great discernment, skepticism, or playing things cool? How we phrase it is less important than the idea behind it. What matters is the healthy balance between two poles, which is necessary not only for survival but ultimately for a state of thriving.

So, if you find yourself in the throes of negative thinking, do not try to stop it. Instead, ask what purpose it serves you. Is it a warning of potential danger? Is it helping you break your addiction to or infatuation with another person? Is it waking you up to a fantasy that has found home in your mind, but which is not in your best interest, and could even potentially lead to a hard comedown, or even depression? Do not be so quick to dismiss your mental and emotional equilibration function, which has evolved over millions of years to assist you in your survival. Learn to listen and then ask the right questions because of it – in this way, you might find that there can be power in negative thinking too.

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