Satya

A Mission Moment Share from Humble Haven’s Founder, Suzanne Burns

Two truths can exist at the same time.

This has become a core belief of mine—one that deepens with each passing year. The more people I meet, the more trials I endure, and the more I experience the coexistence of both deep grief and joy.

Yet holding—or even simply acknowledging—that two truths can exist simultaneously can feel uncertain. When we are faced with contradictory truths, how do we know which to follow as our North Star?

The second Yama, or yogic observance related to how we live, is Satya, which means truth or truthfulness. It comes from the root sat, meaning “that which is.” Satya calls us to live truthfully in our thoughts, words, and actions.

But what happens when we hold one truth and are presented with another that challenges it? Just as the eight limbs of yoga are meant to be practiced together for their full benefit, the Yamas within the second limb also work in harmony with one another.

In last month’s newsletter, we explored Ahimsa, or non-harming. I like to offer a practical definition of Ahimsa which is to do the least amount of harm with the information available to us.

When living Satya through our thoughts, words, or actions feels unclear, Ahimsa is there to guide us.

What if we allowed our truth to be the one that causes the least harm possible?

If we are fortunate to live lives that bring us into relationship with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences, we will inevitably encounter truths that challenge our own. As practitioners of yoga, this often means allowing ourselves to change—shifting our thoughts, speaking new words, or taking new actions.

One of the many gifts of yoga is a deeper understanding of our own capacity: how much we truly hold, and when it is time to release. Yoga also teaches us how to let go with intention and grace, especially when life seems to ask more of us than we can sustain, so that we may return to balance.

So I leave you with this:

 What personal truths have been strengthened by your practice of Ahimsa?
What truths have been reshaped or softened?

-Suzanne B.