Satya (Part Two)

There is a concept in linguistics, termed the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which posits the language we speak influences the way we think and in effect, the way we act. A deeper study of the Sanskrit word satya will give us a new way of thinking and feeling about the truth, perhaps one that bypasses our tendency to intellectualize and instead resonates with our deepest, instinctual consciousness.

 

Consider a mountain. You know this mountain exists because you have visual evidence. You have seen it from different angles. You know and understand its size and its shape. This evidence is confirmed externally by the fact that others have also seen this mountain and describe it in a similar way. Perhaps this mountain has a name and is used for directional guidance or maybe you have flown over it in an airplane. You may have even climbed this mountain and experienced it through your senses, validating its existence beyond any shadow of a doubt.

Then, one day, you wake up and there is a dense fog in the air. A fog so opaque, you can no longer see the mountain. You ask around for confirmation and find that no one else can see the mountain either. You might venture out to climb that mountain again, but with the fog so thick, it is difficult to orient yourself and near impossible to confirm the presence of the mountain. Still, you know it is there. You have a memory of it and you can feel the incline of the earth beneath you. Despite confusion and what might even be considered evidence to the contrary, you have a deep knowing the mountain still exists. The fog could linger for days or weeks, obscuring the mountain from immediate view. You may even forget about it, but the mountain never goes away. And on the next clear day, you might find yourself elated to see the mountain again. It will likely appear more magnificent than you remembered when the fog has lifted.

Satya works in the same way as the mountain. It is an inner knowing and experience of the truth, something believed beyond a shadow of a doubt. Whether a truth about ourselves or the universe, or simply an intuitive gut check that helps us make decisions, we each have a set of core values and beliefs informing our thoughts and behaviors. This is what living from the space of the witness provides; a clarity and presence to hear, listen and respond to this guidance. It is a space where we are able to 'read the room' and KNOW things.

 

The past, by its very nature, is a memory, and our memories are faulty at best. A memory is formed when a lived experience is subsequently stored in the intricate archives of the mind. During this process, the experience undergoes systematic alteration as a result of our implicit and explicit biases, our mental and emotional states, and how closely we are paying attention. Yep, our presence matters. Despite our best efforts to recall the truth, the recall and output is inevitably flawed.

 

Similarly, the future only exists as a prayer, a plan, or an expectation. When dealing with the future, there is always some degree of uncertainty. It has not yet come to be and therefore cannot be true. Satya only exists in the present and the practice of satya is a gradual calibration of our awareness to the fullness of each passing moment. We need to be diligent in cultivating this skill of awareness and intuition.

Sounds a lot like our yoga practice, doesn’t it? The call to be present….always beckoning us.

 

Satya (Part One)

 

Satya…truthfulness.  

Satya is offered in the Yoga Sutras as the second of five yamas, which are often misguidedly referred to as restraints or “right living” rules. I once heard them described as “reflections of our true nature” because our true nature is inherently good. The yamas can be thought of as behaviors that reflect our innermost essence.

To understand satya as one of the yamas, it is important to know it comes after ahimsa by design. The yamas are not mutually exclusive, they are interdependent and there is an element of hierarchical balance between them. In that hierarchy, ahimsa (kindness) always comes first.

 

Truth in our yoga practice begins before we unroll our yoga mats. It is present when the call to practice arises and when we commit to showing up on our mat. Truth perpetually invites us to practice wisely, from invocation to savasana. And when we say yes, we step into satya. So, what exactly does that mean as a yoga practitioner?

 

Breath is the teacher and as the student, you are the one being breathed. This is a sacred relationship and the underpinning of a sustainable practice. We need to develop an internal system of checks and balances for monitoring our breath--like counting, or ujjayi, or our beloved 3 fundamentals of 1) grounding, 2) soft upper pallet of the mouth, and 3) full commitment exhale. Then we respond to these checks and balances by adjusting accordingly throughout our practice.

 

The i-maker, or in Sanskirt ahamkara, is the tendency to over-identify with fleeting thoughts and sensations. When left to its own devices, the i-maker, fueled by the ego, will use the mat as its own private playground. For example, consider this inner dialogue, brought to you by the i-maker, “Wow, my balance is really off today…I can’t hold half-moon…why can’t I hold half-moon?…I always hold this pose…it’s probably because I missed class yesterday…I should have come to class…I was so lazy…everyone else is holding the pose…I am a terrible yogi…I am not even a yogi at all…why can’t we just move to the next pose?…I hate half-moon…I am so over this class…did the teacher just say “inhale”…am I even breathing?…I have to hold this or I won’t get better…seriously why can’t I just stay in the pose!?”

Now, enjoy the same conversation, but with a tone of satya, the ultimate antidote to the i-maker, “Wow, balance is challenging today…that’s interesting…maybe I’ll try breathing into the wobbles…looking at the floor seems to help…I’ll do that…[ breathes ]…how did I know to do that?…[ breathes ]…is that Yoga?…[ breathes ]…[ breathes ]…it was hard to concentrate during the opening meditation too…[ breathes ]…I haven’t really slowed down at all today…[ breathes ]…[ breathes ]… I think I’ll rest instead… [ breathes ].”

 

Yoga is a whole-body practice and the purest expression of each pose is designed to recruit all parts of ourselves. When we ignore or even violate any part of the whole for the sake of the pose, we have lost the integration, the union and the Yoga. Satya is absent. If the asana (pose) comes first, we might be inclined to ignore the subtle signals from the body and push beyond the intelligent edge. As a result, the body will signal more loudly in the form of pain or injury until we are unable to ignore it. Instead, treat the pose as a lens through which you can see something new inside our person. The shape of the asana provides a direction, not a destination.

Satya also means resting before we get tired. When we know we are tired and yet, we still complete another chaturanga in a way that compromises shoulders or spine, it is a physical untruth. When another progression is offered and we take it knowing the first one offered was challenge enough—think plank and the instructor offers lifting a  leg slightly so we choose to come to our knees and lift a leg or we choose to lift the leg and let our low back sway greatly rather than just staying with plank and possibly holding plank with both knees down. When we continually override the body’s natural rhythm in this way, it becomes more difficult to hear when it is asking for rest. Listen, surrender, and adapt as needed.

 

Satya arises from the inside out and seeking validation or comparison from any external source will inhibit honest expression in our practice. We cannot change our internally experienced reality with externally directed attention. Have you ever coveted someone else’s pose or get competitive with others you are practicing with?  Yeah….me neither. LOL! Everything we need to observe is happening within the four corners of our very own mat….within the 21 square feet of sacred space…..Our focus need not be elsewhere!

Stay tuned for Part Two next month....

Onward and Upward.