the practice of telling the truth (even to yourself)
satya
the practice of telling the truth, even to yourself.
written by diane, moondog yoga instructorthis week, june looks at the yamas and niyamas as an integral part of success in practice. a teacher of hers gave her a definition of ahimsa as unconditional positive regard. others have pointed out that all other yamas are in support of ahimsa.
the yamas help us conserve our energy, vitality, pranic force. otherwise, we might be wasting our pranic force and leaking vital energy. the niyamas enable us to repurpose vitality and use our energy more effectively in daily life. both decondition the mind from narrow and constricted identification with the world around us.
yamas can be universally applied for examining our "conditioning" that comes from our survival instincts and adaptations and that all living creatures possess for survival.
when we think about truth and truthfulness, we often think about some "exceptions," like white lies. we might think that a "good" or "white" lie is okay, but is it? we tell these lies to survive an uncomfortable or undesirable situation, but all we are really doing is avoiding or turning away from the truth. the skillful way to practice satya is speaking and behaving with as much honor and respect as possible. satya allows us to embody a larger slice of what is true in any given moment -- a larger view of reality -- and it challenges us to be our better selves in a challenging situation.
the skillful way to practice satya is speaking and behaving with as much honor and respect as possible.
truthfulness must always have ahimsa as its foundation. just because something is true doesn't mean we get to inflict harm on others. by practicing ahimsa first, we can avoid speaking harmful truths.
satya and ahimsa have the potential to transform. our speech and actions are powerful, coming from a place where we are rooted in reality with unconditional positive regard.
satya and ahimsa have the potential to transform. our speech and actions are powerful, coming from a place where we are rooted in reality with unconditional positive regard.
the yamas & niyamas
each week this summer, june and diane are exploring a different yama or niyama -- the ethical heart of yoga practice, beyond the poses. catch up on the introduction and ahimsa, or follow along each week right here on the blog.
we would love to hear how satya is showing up for you this week -- on the mat, or in the quieter moments in between.
light your lamp & you light the world —
june and the moondog team