There are two parts to yoga. One, the physical aspect that we all know consists of your practice on the mat. Second, and equally important, the practice of a yogic lifestyle off the mat as outlined 2500 years ago by Patanjali, the Godfather of yoga. Patanjali speaks of Satya, a moral attitude of truthfulness.
With Satya in mind in the physical practice, we should strive to do what is available to us instead of holding onto predetermined expectations and lying to ourselves about what we can and cannot do. As we become more aligned in our truth on the mat, we naturally will become stronger, and develop a more authentic practice.
Off the mat, we can do the same. We can let go of the unknown, of jealousy, of fear. Through remaining honest our lives become richer. It is freeing to feel released from the stress of lying to ourselves and others. In the presence of Satya, stress can melt away from our relationships and situations.
An example: I went to a dinner last week at a friend's house. Her boyfriend, whom I've never met, is a chef and he made us the most fantastic gourmet meal I've honestly ever had. It was no big deal to him to whip up a side of beets and quail eggs (I wouldn't know what to do with a quail egg if you gave one to me!) and it could have been really easy to bottle up and pretend I had a clue about what he was serving, his cooking techniques, etc. Instead, I practiced Satya, remained honest with myself and my friend's boyfriend, and ended up picking his brain and learning a lot from him. It was freeing and much easier than giving into feeling insecure about my own shortcomings in the kitchen.
One of the things we were taught was to use fresh herbs, so we got home, picked up some seeds, pots and dirt, and hopefully we'll have some fresh herbs sprouting up soon!
So tell me, where might you make a change in your life to be a little more honest with yourself?