Saturday, 11 May 2013

Patanjali's 8 limbs of Yoga: Yamas - Satya


Photo by Marc Perri

Patanjali's limbs of Yoga: Yamas - Satya

Yama: Satya

"Regardless of what stage of life we're in, Yoga practice should serve to bring forth our unique skills, strengths, and talents. It should help us live with greater ease and acceptance. If we mold our practice into some idealized form based on an external standard that is irrelevant to our own destiny, our Yoga practice will only fortify a false sense of self. In this light, always consider your practice in terms of how it can balance and serve the rest of you life. The practice should serve you: you are not a servant to the practice."

Donna Farhi
 Bringing Yoga to life: the everyday practice of Enlightened living.

This week we have been focusing on the Yama or restraint 'satya'. Satya can be translated as honesty or truthfulness and for me being honest helps to cultivate self acceptance both on and off the mat. In terms of my formal yoga practice on the mat it is about asking myself if I can be happy where I am and not try to change myself or others perception of myself. This boils down to asking myself if I honesty need to attempt a more complex or advanced pose. Can I be content and truthful in my practice? After all, I have found trying to go places I am not ready to go just leaves me feeling physically tired, maybe sore and emotionally/mentally dissatisfied if i am not successful. Working towards a pose is just as beneficial to getting there... as they say it is in the journey not the destination.


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