Your True Self

 “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” – Buddha

Wheel pose is a lesson in self acceptance and facing our boundaries. Its a pose that asks us to lift our hearts, stretch our spine, and open our entire front body. Here is where we realize that Yoga is more than a physical practice. It is the unity of mind, body, and spirit. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali describes the Eight Limbed Path. Eight steps, essentially, that act as a guide to leading a meaningful and purposeful life. This past week, in my yoga classes, we explored Ahimsa and Satya, the first 2 (of 5) yamas of the Eight Limbed Path. The Yamas are considered universal vows that should be practiced in thoughts, words, and actions.

Ahimsa, the first of the five yamas, means non-harming, or non-violence. It can be translated to maintaining compassion for yourself and others. In our practice it is easy to compare ourself with those around us; to think that we are not good enough because we can't touch our toes in this pose, or our hips just don't open in that pose. We fight with our bodies, insisting that they do things they are not ready for. We can go so far as to exhibit violence toward ourselves - physically and emotionally. Violence is created not only through physical harm but by our reactions to others, or to events, or to ourselves as well.  Judgement, anger, criticism, are all forms of violence. On our yoga mat, we observe the ways in which we judge ourselves - forcing ourselves into a pose or telling ourselves we're not good enough because we can't do something.

Within your yoga practice, there is no judgement. There is no criticism. There is only you, your breath, and your body. Foster compassion for yourself in your practice. Carry that compassion for yourself with you when you leave your mat. See how compassion for yourself spreads to all those you encounter. Compassion allows us to let go of negativity and to respond instead, with positive, kind, and loving responses.

Satya, the second of the Yamas, means truthfulness, or honesty.

2.36 As truthfulness (satya) is achieved, the fruits of actions naturally result according to the will of the Yogi. 
~Yoga Sutras

In other words, when we practice honesty and truthfulness in thoughts, words, and actions, we find that our will is naturally fulfilled. On our yoga mat, practicing satya is related to the practice of ahimsa because we learn to face the truth of our boundaries and we honor them without forcing our bodies into poses they are not ready for. Not all poses are for all people. Because we are all beautifully individual, we cannot all look the same or go as deep in every pose. Yoga teaches us to cultivate feeling and awareness in our body. To be honest and true to our limitations. To truly come to love our boundaries and face them truthfully. Practicing satya in a yoga class means honoring and respecting our gifts as well as our weaknesses. Everything in this world is temporary. Because we change moment to moment, practice to practice, we must release our past practices and try only to achieve that which each new practice presents us. Think not about where you are going but about where you are. When we learn to recognize whatever resistance we are currently facing we can begin to let go and move forward on our journey.

Ahimsa, compassion and non-harming. A direct link to Satya, truthfulness.  Our reminders to meet ourselves where we are, as we are. To connect with our true selves, and thus with all beings, we must treat ourselves with kindness, respect, and honesty. The light in you is the light in each of us. When we truly honor our own light, only then do we truly honor the light in each of us. Once compassion for ourselves is cultivated, compassion to all beings is naturally expressed.