Mantra Monday

In yogic philosophy, there is a list of suggestions as to how we should interact and behave as an individual in the world. The suggestions, known as the yamas and the niyamas, are the first two of the eight limbs of yoga. The yamas suggest how we should interact with our self or ego. One of the yamas is satya, or “truthfulness”. At first glance, we might interpret it as “don’t tell a lie”. Not that there is anything wrong with not being a liar liar pants on fire, but we can go so much deeper with it.

What about being true to yourself? Honoring where you are in your life, in your yoga practice, in your career? And then to go even a step further, once you’ve thought about where you are in life, just notice it, instead of judging.

“24 and living at home? Oh pssshh I will never make anything of my life”
“I can’t believe I can’t get my head to my back toe in pigeon, I am the worst yogi ever.”

There is no place for negative self-talk in our lives. We get enough negativity from the world, we don’t need to pile it on for ourselves too. So, what if when sitting at the stop light in your beautiful 30-year old, chipped paint, cracked seat, Behemoth Benzo next to a brand new Audi TT, you thought, “Hmm, that’s a nice car. I am so grateful to have a car to get me to where I need to be”.

 “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.” –Buddha

Imagine a day that is filled without judgment, only satya towards yourself and others. Keeping in mind that satya also goes with ahimsa, or non-violence. When our truth is hurtful to someone else, it is better to say nothing than to lie.

So take on the world today with a pledge to be honest, observant, and kind.

I will be true to myself.