Have You Been Hurt By Someone “Speaking Their Truth?”

 

“I just need to speak my truth…”

Do you know someone who says this often? Do you?

What is the usual result?

I’ve noticed that often it seems to be used as a blanket statement for saying something mean, hurtful, unkind, judgmental, or catty under the cover of “truth” or “self-care.”

On more than one occasion I’ve found myself feeling hurt and silenced as I’ve listened to someone “speak her truth” at me in such a way that I felt unable to respond. After all, it’s very hard to argue with someones truth – because it is just that, theirs.

Satya speaks to ultimate Truth or highest Truth, not our opinions or points of view. 

Satya, truthfulness, is the second restraint, or observance, listed in the yamas, the first limb of the 8 limbs of Raja Yoga.

When we practice Satya it is important that we consider with great integrity what we say, what we don’t say, and how we say what we do.

It’s easy to lie or mislead by omission and it’s easy to cause harm, intentionally or not, with our words. As Satya follows Ahimsa, nonharming, this is of up most concern for the yogi.

To practice Satya is not to become a people pleaser, martyr, or pushover. To deny our inherit worth and luminousness would also be untruthful. 

It’s helpful to consider why we are speaking and how our words will impact those to whom we are speaking.

We want our words to elevate the listener and in the process we will elevate ourselves. 

I find that I struggle with Satya the most when I’m slacking in my meditation practice.

Always, we are filtering the Truth through our thoughts, beliefs, prejudices, past experiences, and expectations, but when we take time to sit quietly in meditation that filter can become more pure and less cluttered with all of our junk. 

The more we can tap into experiencing ourselves free from our junk the more easily we can communicate from that place.

Journaling is another tool that I find extremely helpful. When we write down our thoughts, stream of consciousness style, we will start to see the difference between our truthful thoughts and our thoughts that are clouded with opinion and false beliefs.

Now, I’d love to hear from you:

How has “speaking your truth” been playing out in your life and how may it be changing as you deepen your practice of satya?

Reply to this email or leave a comment on the blog and let me know.

Much love,
Katie

PS. Have you read Living Life on Purpose? It’s been wonderful to hear your feedback and see your reader photos on social media. Thank you for reading and for sharing. Every social media share and Amazon review helps me greatly and is much appreciated.

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