Practicing Satya (Truthfulness) in Yoga

For the month of October, Yoga-Cise will be exploring the Yama of Satya. Satya translates to truthfulness in self, life and dialogue with others. As Yamas provide us with our moral compass, this Yama provides us with a guideline of which to live and connect with others.
 
To better understand this Yama, we will explore each aspect of it in more depth.
 
1.Truth in self
The idea of seeking truth within is about striving to understand and know our most authentic self, so that this ‘true self’ can shine through every day. This is certainly not a simple task. Finding our ‘true self’ is an involved, introspective process of reflection and soul searching.
 
Hints of our authenticity are always present, we just need to slow down enough to look within and find them. These hints can be in the butterflies we get when talking about certain topics or the research and hobbies we fill our downtime with. These hints can be in our closest relationships and most comfortable interpersonal interactions. We can find this insight in what we daydream about, what lights us up inside or what brings us contentment and joy. Part of embracing our true and authentic self is finding our sense of purpose, understanding our values, and embracing our unique skills and interests.
 
2.Truth in words
Having truth in our words is easier to implement when we have found, made peace with, and embraced our authentic, true self. Being truthful in our dialogue with others is an integral part of this Yama. The most important thing to remember is that Ahimsa (non-violence) always comes first. Therefore, if speaking truth comes at the direct expense of someone else’s well-being, we might be advised to keep that truth to ourselves.
 
3.Truth in experience
Truth in our experiences is a natural extension to implementing the two previous forms of truth-seeking. If we are being authentic and true to ourselves and engaging with others in an honest and authentic way, we are more likely to bring our authenticity and truth into our daily life—or our overall experience. This means that we will seek experiences that resonate with our personal truth. We will live each day from a congruent and authentic place. This truth-seeking agenda will embody our entire existence and allow us to live more in line with who we really are.
 
Being honest with ourselves is the first step to bringing truth into every part of our lives. A yoga lifestyle, comprised of self-reflection, mindfulness and meditation—is the most beneficial way to become more introspective and seek this internal truth. Once we find our internal truth, we can naturally share it with others and let it flow through all of our experiences.