सत्यप्रतिष्ठायां क्रियाफलाश्रयत्वम् I

satya-pratiṣṭhayaṁ kriyā-phala-āśrayatvam

When truth (satya) becomes one of our firm roots (pratiṣṭayaṁ), then there is perfect harmony (āśrayatvam) between how we act (kriyā) and the results (phala) of our actions.

PRACTICAL LIVING     Last week we explored the concept of kindness and how it can be a practice in itself. This week Patañjali talks about honesty (satya). Like many of the important terms we explore in this text, satya can be defined in many different ways:

i. honesty – on a practical level, honesty refers to saying the truth, or, not lying. Saying the truth is also a multi-layered concept since often we will justify to ourselves that it is okay to tell a ‘white lie’ or add things to our stories to be funnier, more entertaining, more interesting. The fact is that lying, on any level, is based on fear – fear that someone won’t approve of us, won’t accept us, won’t love us. Can you make satya – honesty – your meditation for the week?

ii. authenticity – is the ability to be “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). This requires self-reflection to understand what our needs and desires are, to speak them and act on them. How often do we refrain from saying what we want and acting how we want? Authenticity is having the courage to be who we are and expressing it freely whether it goes against what our parents taught us, what society says is ‘appropriate’ or whether others will approve of or not. Yes, the authentic rebel in me is coming out and telling you to be YOU!

iii. truth – on a more profound level, we are talking about the ability to see past the body and personality…to experience the light, the love, the peace within.

IN THE YOGA WORLD     A person who is honest, authentic and knows the truth is someone who lives in a refined state of mind. That person is able to communicate the truth with kindness. There is no reason to lie and no reason to say or do things that go against their nature. They have done the necessary internal work resulting in a deep awareness of themselves and others. That awareness leads to speech and actions rooted in honesty, authenticity and truth. Consequently, the results are harmonious and lead others to want to seek the same.

INSPIRATIONAL PERSON     Camilla is a new friend. We literally met on the streets of freezing Chicago and had a 4-minute conversation. Since then we have seen each other twice but I feel like our friendship is years old. She is a seeker. A spiritual seeker who goes after honesty, authenticity and truth. You know she is in the room because the lights are shining brighter, people are laughing and there is a bubble of beauty in the midst of all of it. She is funny and profound. She is beautiful inside and out. Her energy captivates those around her. Camilla’s fascination of the human being has made her into a deeply self-reflective person. In a 20-minute mock interview she helped me have an amazing realization. Camilla, amo que a vida cruzou os nossos caminhos! Obrigada por ser parte dessa grande aventura que chamamos de vida!