Sat Nam is a Gurmukhi mantra used frequently in Kundalini Yoga (one of two styles of yoga that participants in this May's Earth, Water, Fire Yoga Retreat on the Big Island of Hawaii will enjoy). It means "my identity is the truth" or "I am the truth." The mantra is traditionally repeated internally with each breath during Kundalini classes, and often chanted aloud with certain exercises or meditations. As a student in a Kundalini Yoga teacher training -- part of my 500-hour yoga teacher credential -- it seems as though I have chanted Sat Nam hundreds of thousands of times in the past three weeks.
So, I was reminded of Mansur al-Hallaj, the Persian Sufi mystic and poet, who was martyred in 922 CE for saying "Ana al-Haqq": which also means "I am the truth" or "I am God." He was killed for saying something that my entire teacher training group, and millions of Kundalini Yoga students worldwide chant daily. Yet, we all have certain beautiful expressions in our hearts that we stop ourselves from saying, for such small insignificant reasons. The next time I feel myself holding back something true and filled with love, I hope to remember al-Hallaj and that the worst thing that could happen to me from speaking truth is a bruised ego.
Compared to martyrdom, a bit of embarrassment doesn't seem so bad! Besides, my ego could always use more humility.
Sat Nam.
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