Truth: noun

-the quality or state of being true;

-that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality;

-a fact or belief which is accepted as true.

When we were little kids, we were taught to tell the truth.  And, while being truthful is generally a solid plan, when it comes to the Yoga Sutras, and specifically the Eight Limbs, the concept of being truthful comes with some caveats.   

As a refresher, the first spoke in the Eight Limbs of Yoga includes the Yamas.  These are moral guidelines for us to apply, helping us to keep our relationships and personal energy harmonious.  

The first Yama is Ahimsa, the practice of nonviolence.  The second Yama is Satya, or truthfulness.  And, just like with Ahimsa, this includes being truthful in thought, word, and deed.

In telling the truth, it's imperative that we determine whether or not our words and actions will bring harm to others.  If you find that what you say or do will, in fact, harm someone else to some degree, then what do you do?

Because I'm a fan of analogies, here's one for you to ponder…

Your bestie has just arrived at your house, wearing an outfit that she clearly loves but you think is hideous.  She asks you what you think.  

Do you tell her your version of the truth?  

Remember that before we answer, the first principle we should apply is Ahimsa, or nonviolence.  

Would it harm your friend if you told her the outfit was really bad?  While she probably wouldn't suffer physical pain from your words, they would likely cause her emotional pain to some degree.  So by you telling her your truth (because her truth is she loves the outfit, but your truth is it looks really bad), it's actually doing more harm than good.   

Because we're actively attempting to not cause pain and also be truthful, what's a person to do?  What would you do if this happened to you?

Most of us have lost our trust in the media, in politicians, in advertisers.  Hell, it's getting even more difficult to know what the truth actually is these days with the rise of AI.  Have you seen some of the deep fakes out there?  I mean, I really thought it was Tom Cruise who was jumping over that dude!  

And, as a side note, as the elections begin to creep closer to us folks in the States, it's crucial to keep in mind that these types of deep fakes will be rampant, so for the love of democracy please take the time to research political claims, learn the actual facts.  In this day and technological age, there's really no reason to be living in a state of ignorance.  Find the truth to live in truth.

"In my search for truth, I can change my mind when new and sensible information presents itself."  ~Nicolai Bachman

Back to Satya.

In the past, I've lied to myself about things, specifically my feelings.  I rationalized that I shouldn't say something for fear of damaging a relationship, of making waves, of coming across as too harsh/too emotional/too ambitious.  

When I avoid the internal truth, I feel it in my body.  I'm pretty sure that's a big part of why I was dealing with high blood pressure for so long.  It doesn't feel good to live in non-truth.

What harm does keeping your truth buried deep inside have on you?  

Are there degrees of truth-telling?

How do we find the truth within ourselves?  What would that process even look like, and what would we find at the end of that investigation?

A few ways we can be truthful are:

*share our feelings using "I" sentences (ex. "I feel upset when…)

*follow through with things we've promised others

*follow through with things we've promised ourselves 

*realize that just because something is your truth doesn't make it the truth

*stop telling "little white lies"

*check in with your inner narrative and notice if your internal dialog is truthful or shades thereof

As we continue to go down the path of the Eight Limbs of Yoga, you might discover that the seemingly obvious or simple concepts actually have more layers to them than previously thought.  When we gently pull apart those layers and explore the discomfort that can come along with the internal discovery, we get the chance to level up in this glorious thing called the human existence.