the second of the five yamas is satya.
this week’s offering is a ~10 minute guided meditation focused satya, the principle of honesty. this post includes a video introduction with a bit of background on the principle, my own reflections on applying it in my life, and a few notes on the practice.
under WEEK 2 PRACTICE, you’ll find a guide, recorded meditation, and reflection.
[unrelated/related: someday i may have more to say on the impossible, infinitely imperfect, and deeply spiritual practice that is “mothering,” but for now i would simply like to send love and grace and so much gratitude to mothers. yours, mine, and ours.]
YAMA 2: SATYA
satya is a sanskrit word derived from the root [as] which means to be. [sat] an iteration of that root, refers to essence, beingness, and truth. [ya] the activating suffix means coming from or as a result of.
satya is not simply about truth in the sense of being honest or not lying. satya is a state of being that comes from aligning with our own essence. a state that comes from allowing what already is to rise to the surface.
here is little bit about what this principle means to me and how i apply it in my life:
WEEK 2 PRACTICE: SATYA
guided breath meditation
i suggest you complete this meditation early in the morning to help you find alignment before going into your day. i also suggest you complete this week’s reflection directly after finishing the practice.
before you press play, prepare your space and your mind for practice. put your phone in another room (or if you are using it to listen, put it on do not disturb).
give yourself the gift of ten minutes without unnecessary distractions.
/reflection
in this week’s offering of words, “Wild Geese,” Mary Oliver reminds us:
You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
in what moments do you most inhabit the “soft animal of your body”?
what does your soft animal body feel when you move in alignment with the grain of truth? when you move against the grain of truth?
how can you find your place in the family of things?
Thank you!! I am headed to my desk. Beautiful practice. Lesson. Teaching.
Stillness and presence is hard! But the pairing with Mary Oliver..."meanwhile" really makes you think and feel the present moment.