Satya

Last week we explored the first of the five yamas: Ahimsa, translated as compassion and reverence for all beings and all things. This week, we are progressing onto the second of the Yamas, Satya which can be translated as truthfulness.

For those who missed last week's blog here's a quick review. On the path of yoga one is likely to come across the ancient text of the Sutras of Patanjali, originating in India some 2900 years ago. The text is approximately 195 aphorisms (sutras), which are short, terse phrases designed to be easy to memorize. They were originally an oral teaching passed from teacher to student until it is thought the sage Patanjali actually wrote them. This philosophical text provides the framework within my own life in two ways -  by offering a practical guideline of how to put yoga into daily action and as the foundational philosophy that I teach in yoga teacher trainings and in classes. The sutras are meant to be studied over time with their meaning unfolding as we deepen our practice.

One of the most useful parts of the sutras is found in the second of the four books which reveals the eight-faceted path of yoga or Ashtangha yoga.  The first two facets are called the Yamas and Niyamas, or external and internal observances. Within each are five elements with Satya being the second yama and it's a vital part of any yoga practitioner's awareness.

Satya goes beyond the idea of truthfulness insofar that's it's more significant than simply not lying. It reflects the interconnected relationship between all of the yamas and, as Swami Vivekananda once said, Ahimsa before Satya.  In other words, if we need to speak the truth to someone but it causes them harm, then we wouldn't be practicing Ahimsa and should hold our tongue. A well known Buddhist saying is "Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?" and perhaps this is a mantra that we could put into place in order to begin understanding and undertaking the practice of speaking our truth.

Yet, as I reflect on the meaning of Satya, I think of it as a deeper practice as it's an outward projection of our authentic self. We all place labels on ourselves and on others, but what if we removed the label and looked beneath the surface? One experience that I had illustrates doing just that...removing the label. A few years ago, my husband and I were invited to two extremely different events in the same weekend. The first was a gathering at a friends house who were hosting a traveling Krishna Swami devotee. He offered a short talk and radiated such happiness, that my husband ended asking the question of him, "How did YOU become SO happy?". It was a delightful gathering and the Swami offered a couple of starting points for getting deeply connected and happy by chanting the names of God.

Our second event that weekend was a black tie gala, honoring a couple that I had been doing personal training with for quite some time. We dressed into our fanciest clothes and tried our best to mingle in the crowd of local wealthy philanthropists and society people. As we dropped off our Toyota RAV 4 at valet, next to Jaguars and Bentleys, we knew we weren't about to hang out with our "regular" crowd. As the evening unfolded though, and various conversations were undertaken, it became apparent that this crowd was raising money for a local charity...their hearts were exactly in the same place as the people gathering with the Swami the previous night. The only difference was the outward facade and perhaps a gap in income, yet below the surface the intentions of both groups seemed authentic and connected.

Another example is when I was teaching fitness classes at the University of Melbourne, which would average over 45 people per class in very large gymnasiums. You couldn't distinguish between who might be a first year student or the Dean of a college. They were all in exercise clothes, huffing and puffing and creating a big dripping sweat. Exercise was the great equalizer...all hearts nearly beating as one.

The thought of the week is - can you connect to your authentic self? When the feeling of what you're doing is coming from your highest intention, what are you doing? How are you engaging? When we come from the heart, truth arrives. At times the heart expresses vulnerability, at other times fear or insecurity, yet when we allow ourselves to open this space and share it outwardly we are in Satya. Being our authentic self means owning all that we are...the bold, the imperfect and the loving self.

For many years, I have closed each class with our hands coming together at the points of the forehead, throat and heart saying the words, "May we always know our truth. May we always speak our truth. May we always live our truth." When we begin to know what is true for us, we stand in our own power. When we give voice to that truth, we stand in our own empowerment and when we live from that place, we connect to kindness and compassion for ourselves and all other beings. That's starting to sound like Ahimsa now doesn't it?