Vinyasa of Speech

I'm re-entering this week after spending 6 days in Tulum learning, growing, connecting, moving, breathing, meditating, laughing, dancing, and so much more, all part of an 8-month, 300h Yoga Teacher Training titled Living Yoga. Many aspects of the trip were profound, and the more I learn about what it means to live yoga, the more I believe the teachings of yoga hold the answers for everything. 

One lesson we were asked to apply for the duration of the trip was a concept our teachers described as vinyasa of speech. A vinyasa-style yoga class is structured in a way that matches breath to movement. Vinyasa in Sanskrit means "to place in a special way." We were asked to practice this idea of vinyasa of speech, placing any spoken words from a place of meaning, truthfulness, and intention. If anyone was noticed speaking in a way that wasn't demonstrating vinyasa of speech (gossip, talking just to fill silence, complaining, not speaking our truth), we were asked to give our friend a hug.

This simple agreement we all committed to on night one created a sacred space for raw and real conversation where true friendships were formed. We discussed dreams, challenges, life, death, you name it. When we engaged with ourselves and each other from a place of meaning, intention, and truthfulness, we were able to connect deeply and engage with one another in such a potent way.

Reflecting on this has me wondering what other spaces we can apply this concept to and what impact it could have. For example, have you ever been in a meeting where the first 15 minutes of the 30-minute conversation seem so irrelevant to the original intention of the meeting? Have you ever found yourself in a conversation led by gossip or complaining and left feeling drained, anxious, or unfulfilled? Have you ever noticed yourself speaking just to fill silence or communicating in a way that's unaligned with what you really feel? 

What if, in the next meeting, everyone agreed to approach the topic with the concept of vinyasa of speech? What if we didn’t speak to be heard but from a place of real ideas and listening, allowing space for creativity and problem-solving? What if, at the next friend gathering, instead of gossiping or complaining we asked questions to help know and understand each other better? What if we spoke from a place of meaning, intention, and truth? What if? 

I recognize it's a tall order, and yet at the same time I'm thinking “why wouldn't we live this way?!” It seems so simple and obvious, and yet it is hard. In Tulum, we all made the same agreement to engage this way, and not everyone around us will want to make this kind of commitment. It can be uncomfortable and challenging to change the way we’ve been communicating with those in the world around us. However, I do believe, deeply, if we make small shifts to engage in a more real and meaningful way with our words, it will have a significant impact on how we experience the world and each other.