How often do we define ourselves by how we feel in any particular moment? How often does the internal chatter of our minds say 'I'm not good enough', 'I'm too fat/thin/short/tall/lazy/loud/quiet', 'I'm a bad person because I ...'. Worse, how often do we define ourselves on the judgments and words of others? 'she said I can't sing, it must be true' or 'they don't like my haircut; it must be horrible'.

When we define ourselves by our emotions and the words of others, we step out of the practice of satya/truth.

Why is it important to explore the truth? Take the example of being told that you can't sing. Maybe you really can't sing; perhaps that is the truth. Or maybe you can sing beautifully but the person that said those words had a headache in that moment and really meant to say 'please be quiet'. If we don't explore our truth and stand by it, we can allow the comments of others to become a belief in our minds and affect our internal dialog and future actions.

Some of the beliefs we have about ourselves are deeply rooted in things said to us as children, and others change day to day, almost moment to moment, depending on our experiences and interactions with others.

There is a phrase in sanskrit 'chitta vritti', which translates to 'fluctuations of the mind'. In order to begin calming the chitta vritti we must identify with the truth rather than with our ever changing emotions or the opinions of others. As we become firmly established in our truth we can be more confident and calm, rather than riding a rollercoaster of emotions.

This week, as we continue to focus on satya, practice being aware of the fluctuations of the mind. Notice if you have firm beliefs of yourself or others that may not be established in the truth and take the time to explore the truth. Become aware of how often you allow the words of others, or your own emotions to cloud your beliefs and lose sight of what is true for you. Set the intention each day to practice satya in your thoughts, words and actions both on and off your yoga mat.