Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The Study of the Yamas and Niyamas for 2011: Satya

Hello yogis!   It's been far too long since I blogged.  Unsure why except to say I get sidelined by life and by my general fear of writing for a public forum.  So here goes:

A major part of practicing yoga is the adherence to the Yamas and Niyamas.  In Patanjali's 8 limbed yoga as described in his Yoga Sutras, these are first 2 limbs.  The 5 Yamas are often translated to mean "restraints or attitudes that we ought to avoid," while the 5 Niyamas are described as "actions and attitudes that we should cultivate in order to overcome the illusion of separation and the suffering it causes," according to Judith Lasater in the Yoga Journal.  Asana and pranayama are the 3rd and 4th limbs.  So without even doing a bloody down-dog, you can still practice your yoga!

Today I want to address Satya, which translates as truth--truth in our feelings, thoughts, words and deeds.  I bring this up first even though Ahimsa is the initial Yama to be mentioned by Patanjali because satya is challenging for me!  I often ask students to live their satya while on the mat in class.  That is, keep that leg straight even if your belly is miles away from it.  Practice the poses honestly without succumbing to the little cheats that call and tempt us--yes, even me, every day, my friends.  By living and practicing your truth on the mat, we will not hurt ourselves and therefore follow and live another Yama, ahimsa or non-violence.  It is our ego, our competitive side that takes us off the truthful straight and narrow, causing us to push when our body is tired or at its limit.  This submission to the ego can easily and often result in injures (this I know all too well, admittedly...).  So, by being honest with ourselves on our mats, we can ensure a safe and productive practice. 

Why so tough, satya? Well for this conflict averse yogi, I can say that it is the interpersonal stuff where my satya becomes weak.  I am great on the mat, lousy with friends.  Satya was brought to the fore recently because of a relationship conflict that am I trying to navigate.  This is actually a situation between my daughter and a friend of hers.  Now, these are 6 year olds, my friends and well things can get sticky at times and call for mitgation by mommies and daddies.  This particular school chum of my daughter's doesn't seem to care for her anymore and frankly treats her poorly--we are unsure why, but it is persistent and is basically bullying at this point.  Other means of improving the relationship have not proven fruitful so, as parents must sometimes do, I need to step in and talk to the friend's mother--my friend!--about why we are taking a relationship hiatus.  Are you kidding, me talk out this delicate, sticky issue out with my friend who I really like?  Oh the horrors!!  I am a dreadful wimp in this way.  I'd much rather take a level 1000 yoga class, leave a complete sweat ball and then come home to clean mine and every other house on the block than talk to my friend about her ill-behaved child.  You get the picture. 

Sooooo I devised a wimpy and vague strategy to explain why we will not be hanging out together in the future and ran it by my forthright, therapist friend.  "Wow," she said, "This all sounds like a lot of work!"  And she proceeded to tell me how she would just say it in a straightforward manner.  My stratgey involved basically not that, therefore it was me not being honest and not practicing satya.  As a result my relationship with the kid's mom would not really be authentic now would it, whether it was strained or not?  But really, do I have to tell the real truth here?  Ah yes...My therapist friend is right.  It's hard to do.  Satya is hard to live.  But certainly the results will be authentic, whatever they may be. 

I haven't tackled this conversation yet, but am inspired to do so.  THIS is much harder for me than sirsasana, hanumanasana and kurmasana combined!  I will report back on this matter.  Practice your satya whatever that is.  Namaste and see you in class. 

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