A Tantra yoga class this week. An energetic practice targeting our endocrine systems and guaranteed to increase the flow of pranic energy in the body with the classic side effect of joy! Yes, Tantra practised just before Christmas is a good way to crank up the joy. And Tantric yoga is honest. As that joy bubbles up and overflows into your body, you will respond to that joy in truth. Because your body doesn’t lie.

In yoga, I am always talking about speaking your truth, the pursuit of truth and the courage to step onto a path of truth. If you are in touch with your body, you will already know the physical and mental price you pay for not telling the truth. Telling lies is exhausting and can exacerbate neck, throat, ear, voice and thyroid issues. And dishonesty is a slippery slope. That first lie often leads to bigger and bigger lies. Initially we often feel bad about the lies we tell but over time, as we lie again and again, the brain, for survival, adapts to make the remorse less intense and we are able to increase the magnitude of our lies.
In a society where truth is so muddied, who knows what’s true and what’s not true anymore? How confused does everyone get when you are subjected to yet another rambling explanation of X, where the speaker − obfuscating, repeating and using jargon − never makes any sense. We are left in a recycling state of depression, anxiety or anger because deep down we know there is something real in this world.
Look to the body. Bodies don’t lie. 90% of human communication is non-verbal and these non-verbal cues reveal the truth. Look at the speaker’s eyes: liars often don’t make eye contact or look away, although compulsive liars are aware of this sign and will hold your gaze for far too long. Observe the nose touch. When a person lies, histamines are released in the body that causes the blood vessels in the nose to swell and itch. Bill Clinton provided a good example of this during the Monica Lewinsky case. And liars often neck scratch and shake their head excessively when they speak.
There is a hitch. We are all liars, and the only way to know what is true is to unmask your own lies. So start with you. Look at all those lies you tell every day and see how you feel when you slowly and diplomatically start telling the truth. Look for those non-verbal cues in others and you will be able to reconcile the uneasiness you feel in your body with what they are saying, it might be a lie. Listening to your body on this lifelong pursuit of truth will help you know when you are lying or being lied to.
Margot Wagner
Yoga Under the Bodhi Tree
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