Living Yoga with the 4 truths of 'Satya' ~ fearlessly embracing our honesty and vulnerability
Of the Eight Limbs of Yoga the second branch of the Yamas ~ ‘Satya’ (truthfulness) has the power to set us free of our limitations and have us standing firm in our integrity! It’s in the daily practice of Satya that we forge the pathway to the wisdom of our heart, our Soul speaks to us in full dialogue when we choose to live in this place of grace.
There maybe many little white lies we tell ourselves and others each and every day - and the only reason we do this is because we are so fearful of not being ‘right’, being a failure, being exposed or experiencing negative consequences. They're the excuses we make up when we didn’t achieve what we said we’d do, when we didn't keep our word. For example perhaps you were committing to breaking a habit, and then we let slip… In identifying with it as 'failure' did you derive a story around it being ok that you didn’t keep your word to yourself, even blame it on another or circumstances? This is a form of rationalisation and self-delusion where we justify an addiction or bad behaviour due to hurt or an injustice we have faced. This includes over-consumption of food, drug and alcohol addiction, chronic shopping and lack of self-discipline. A build up of white lies inevitably leads to distrusting our own word and depleting our integrity. One non-truth will always lead to another and another until we no longer know how to live with truth.
Your words, whether externally spoken or internalised, have great power. They have the ability to build us up standing strong in our integrity, or they can depress us down deep into our secretive selves causing self-harm, potentially harming others and disconnection.
Say for example someone notices at work or in the home something you said you’d do, and they ask you about it…. to avoid feeling shamed, or feeling you’re ‘in trouble’, instead you falsely argue that you did/didn't do it. We even go as far as verifying this white lie to ourselves, believing it, so we can never be proven ‘wrong’. It all comes down to fear of being exposed. Every one of these little white lies contributes to tearing down our integrity, and down spirals our self-worth and the trust another has in the value of our word.
We live in Satya when we embrace being vulnerable and perfectly imperfect. Perhaps it's the antidote to depression and anxiety. Truthfulness is living in alignment where life's gifts simply fall into place.
Speaking our truth and sharing those hard conversations with an open heart and love for another, is not only going to set ourselves free, but the other also. Truth is the breaker of shackles. So often we resist it thinking we are protecting another from hurt. The hard part is not being attached to the consequences and knowing whatever prevails is perfect for all involved and the lessons are albeit at times very harsh, but necessary. I consider the most hurtful and hardest times in my life as being my greatest lessons and growth. I work as quickly as possible in thanking the other for the lesson, even if I haven't understood it yet, I know it will be revealed when I need it.
Living with suppressed truths places a veil of falseties on our relationships ~ with ourselves and with others. We cannot ignore this deep knowing of our transgression, this existence suppresses our potential. Living with Satya opens us up to possibilites and all that is meant to be. We no longer need to worry about consequences of being caught out or exposed. We move further from ignorance and closer to the Divine.
Living the 4 Truths of Satya;
Humbly speak your truth, shining light on others ~ overcoming fear of the outcome, being exposed, failure, needing to be ‘right’
Stand strong in your integrity, value the power of your every word (internal and external)
Avoid clouding your own wisdom with manipulated media, conspiracy theories, misleading marketing and illusory images
Know your own pure heart and live in alignment with the Divine
