Satya - Truthfulness
I love the physical practise of Yoga but the truth is, it is just a fraction of my Yoga practice and only a small part of what it means to live a Yogic life. My goal here is to share with you a gilmpse to my personal practice as well as my take on Yoga philosophy and how it relates to the modern-day life. This post is about the second Yama: Satya, which translates as non-lying or truthfulness.
Truthfulness in thought
How often do we delude ourselves, tricking our minds into thinking that something is true just because we want it to be true? Or sometimes, when the reality is too harsh, we might try to avoid it or we might tell ourselves that it doesn’t exist. Truthfulness (Satya) means seeing and communicating things as they are, not as we want them to be. This is not easy because our thoughts are conditioned and coloured by our past thoughts, beliefs and experiences. Our thoughts also evolve and therefore, what we perceive as truth tends to change over time. Additionally, we all experience the same things in very different ways. A roller coaster at Disney Land is a joyful experience for some and a dreadful one for others. In reality is that roller coaster joyous or dreadful? It’s neither because both of these experiences are just opinions.
“There is only one truth and it does not change. Everything else is just opinion.” -unknown
When we see our thoughts as concrete absolute truths it can be difficult to see other peoples perspectives whereas, when we hold onto our thoughts more lightly it is easier to understand why others would disagree with our opinions. If we perceive our own thoughts just as opinions we can observe them more objectively and allow them to evolve.
Truthfulness in word
Not telling lies goes without saying but truthfulness can also be measured by integrity and clear communication. Before speaking, ask yourself: is this true? is this helpful? is this necessary? Commit to stop gossiping and over sharing.
Sometimes leaving things out is the same as lying, sometimes not saying anything is better than saying anything at all. As we speak our truth it is important to remember that the Yamas work in the wider context of Yoga. Therefore, when we are practicing truthfulness we also need to consider the first Yama, ahimsa (non-harming). So instead of telling your co-worker how you noticed that he gained weight over the holidays, in the light of ahimsa, you might just choose to keep that information to yourself.
Truthfulness in action.
There is freedom in being exactly who you are instead of trying to contort your self into someone you think other people expect you to be.
To me, truthfulness in action means acting according to your values. If, you value equality, freedom and kindness then your words, actions and life choices should reflect that. This means keeping your word, not just for others but also for yourself. So if you promise your self to go to the gym on Saturday morning 10am, then that’s where you should be on Saturday morning 10am.
Next time you do your practise, listen to your thoughts and your body sensations carefully, and try to really absorb all of that information. Make sure you know your why, your intention, the reason behind your actions. Observe your inner talk and your behaviour, and then reflect on whether they are in line with your truth.
S x