Off the Mat: Brahmacharya: The Right Use of Energy

Where does your energy go when you're not looking? In this Off the Mat conversation, Kyle and David unpack brahmacharya,the yogic principle of the right use of energy  and how it shows up far beyond the mat.Following Kyle's restorative yoga practice on brahmacharya, the two get honest about energy leaks: compulsive scrolling, over-committing, people-pleasing, and the quiet ways we drain ourselves before the day's even over. They explore why rest so often feels like something we have to earn, the difference between doing and simply being, and what it really means to stop "leaking" energy in a culture that treats time as currency.Along the way, Kyle traces brahmacharya from its classical roots in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras to its modern interpretation, while both hosts reflect on overextending, type-A tendencies, the pressure to perform ( even on the yoga mat) and learning to honor what the body actually needs.Whether you're navigating burnout, exploring yoga philosophy, or simply curious about working with your energy instead of against it, this episode is an invitation to pause and ask: Is this where my energy wants to go?In this episode:What brahmacharya means and how its meaning has evolvedThe Yamas and Niyamas explainedRecognizing your personal energy leaksWhy restorative yoga can feel so hard for high achieversRest, worth, and the myth that rest must be earnedChime In: Where in your life are you currently overextending, and what's making it hard to pull back? Leave us a voice or written message at yogapodclass.com.Join us in Sayulita, Mexico for our 2027 yoga retreat (March 27–April 3). Details under the Retreat tab at yogapodclass.com.Yoga Pod Class is a screen-free yoga podcast. Some weeks we guide you through practice; other weeks we explore how the patterns we notice on the mat show up in everyday life.