Satya - Truth and Integrity

Dedicated to truth and integrity (Satya), our thoughts, words, and actions gain the power to manifest.
Sutra 11.36 The Secret Power of Yoga

My truth in this moment is that I'm tired, but I'm working on a homework assignment that was due by midnight, so I'm also pushing the envelope a little bit. This is the last assignment of all that were due and I'm intrigued by all that I have discovered along the way.

Another truth for me has been the enjoyment of taking things slower... of fully digesting. I find this in my yoga practice both for me and how I teach. I love for yoga to be one of those times when everything slows down. It's not a race to the finish or a way to exercise as hard as I can, but a chance to go within myself, find stillness, and movement that is more relaxed but also alive. I love to close my eyes and feel both my strength and my softness.

This digesting idea showed up for me today after realizing how much I eat on the go. I have noticed this many times and yet it had become a habit or samskara (groove or rut... like in the mud). Between classes, before going out or even while driving (a tendency from a job that had me in my car all day, every day). I was contemplating how I'd like to also slow down in that way because it has been showing up for me that I have stressed my body out (hence the rash that I spoke of that was me trying to cure psoriasis that was on the back of my neck and causing myself further stress and more discomfort and a further breakout of the first issue after treating the second). So today, when I got home from teaching Restorative and Hatha classes, I took time for a walking meditation from my car down the street to my door and then an eating meditation, which felt so amazing. I decided that I wanted to do the same with other things that show up in life. When I wrote another assignment on what I learned about receiving feedback from a learning session, during Orientation, this really hit home (I learned that compliments and constructive criticism have been harder to digest than I thought because I had been deflecting both, but feeling more comfortable hearing the negative).

I want to chew my experiences slowly, taste them, roll them around on my tongue, salivate all over them, then swallow and digest them (like the raisin meditation I bring to class sometimes). That way I can better integrate things into my life. I also experienced this on Wednesday when a lady came up to me after class with great feedback about what she experienced in my slow flow class. I was able to fully take in her honesty, gratitude and appreciation for what the class facilitated for her. I was truly touched by her heart within her words and felt so connected to her speaking her truth and confirming mine at the same time.

So my big truth now is to really practice what I teach... in all of the rest of my life off the mat... not just when I have time, but always. My body has been speaking of this truth for a while and I have always known the truth about the body being the best teacher... I guess I needed to slow down to hear it more.

The other truth in that is the "shedding of my skin" like a snake. Cobra has become my teacher and my friend, my partner, my truth. I united with Cobra once and have experienced Cobra's power since and it shows up in my life in every aspect. Not just on the mat. I have been shedding my skin literally and figuratively as I leave behind old aspects of myself and renew myself and become new. I'm reminded of the Phoenix Rising as well :)

Core assets... slow down, take time to digest food and life, and unite with yourself through yoga.