The Healing Power of Compassionate Truth

Ciao from Firenze! I’m excited for today’s reflection as it will be a different from my most recent posts. I have taken inspiration from one of the spiritual principals in yogic philosophy known as “compassionate truthfulness” or in Sanskrit, satya. Satya has a particularly special place in my heart because of the role it has played in my own healing journey and I believe it has the power to create healing within all of us.

Cultivating satya is about living from the truth of who we are. It teaches us that our inner truths aren’t something to be afraid of or to run away from. They are the arrows that point us in the direction of our healing, freedom, and spiritual alignment.

Below I will share the different components of cultivating satya and how to implement it with a daily 7 minute practice. But first, I want to start with a deeper dive into how I’ve personally come to satya, in my own quest for healing and wholeness.

The truth is I’m not just in Italy to eat gelato and pasta and romanticize my life. While yes, it’s a dream come true, beneath it all there is much more to the story. It only seems fair that I share a more in-depth view of what is going on in my life.

While I’ve written about my eating disorder in previous posts, it wasn’t until I started practicing the principle of compassionate truth that I truly began to heal. So here is some more context of that.

When I was 17 I developed a life threatening eating disorder. It changed my life completely. There was a “before that time in my life” and an “after.” And it was a stark contrast. While I managed to survive, it continued to be an invisible battle I faced everyday.

Life with my eating disorder was my norm. I didn’t know any different. Bombarded by thoughts, it consumed my mind, my time and my energy.
I learned to manage it enough to get by, but I wasn’t free. I wasn’t healed. I wasn’t thriving.

In 2024, things took a turn for the worst. Heartbreak, burnout, a family diagnosis.
I relapsed again.

But this time was different. Starving myself couldn’t numb the pain the way it had done previously. My body and heart were begging, screaming, yelping for me to truly listen. I was left with two choices: let my eating disorder run my life forever or see this relapse as my chance to rewrite my story and fully reclaim myself this time around. This crisis in my life became my catalyst for change.

I realized my healing demanded a big change from me. My dream of living in Italy wasn’t something I could put off for the distant future. There was something calling me to chase this dream, now. I was determined to remove any barriers in order to get myself there. My healing depended on it.

So, after much planning and preparation, with butterflies in my stomach and a readiness in my heart, I crossed an ocean, changed continents, and took the biggest leap of faith in my life.

Ciao, Italia.

You see, Italian culture couldn’t be further from the reality of life with an eating disorder. In Italy, food is joy. Food is connection. Food is love. I mean pasta is the love language in Italia after all. Yet these are all things an eating disorder starves you of. It strips away the very nourishment of life—which, by the way, goes far beyond what is put into your mouth.

Recovery isn’t about eating pasta and pizza without spiraling into panic. It’s far more intricate than that because eating disorders are a coping mechanism. They become a shell that protects the most vulnerable parts of us, parts of us we’ve learned to suppress, abandon, and fear within ourselves. This is where the practice of satya became a lantern in my life, guiding me.

You see, honesty without compassion is incomplete. Compassion bridges the gap between hard truths and healing truths. It wasn’t until I learned to turn toward my inner depths with compassion and care that the most vulnerable parts of myself could step forward into the light and be seen. This was the sacred shift that changed the trajectory of my recovery.

We all have our own hiding place. It’s the pain we keep hidden away, and often times, even hidden from our own selves. While our coping mechanisms may present themselves differently, they all serve the same purpose: to keep us safe and protect us from pain. But in reality, they keep us stuck and blocked inside.

To heal is to feel and face all of the things tucked away in these hiding places. We learn that these things never made us broken to begin with and reclaiming them is what allows us to be whole.

While my story may look vastly different from yours, this truth remains the same: When we have the courage to explore our own depth, we also discover the Light. It is my hope that the practice of satya invites you to live from the truth of who you are so that you may also discover your inner light, too.

Below I will break down the different components of cultivating satya.

Let’s start with an acronym:

S aftey - create safety within by cultivating compassion
A ttunement - attune to your internal messages to listen inward
T ogetherness - build a relationship with all parts of yourself
Y ielding - yield to w to let go of resistance
A cceptance - accepting your whole self as you are

Safety

Compassion creates internal safety which allows for your inner truths rise up. Compassion is the attitude through which you approach and turn toward yourself. It’s a deep presence within. A sacred with-ness.

Compassion says, “hello dear one, I’m here. Let’s be together. Whatever you have to tell me, I’m here to listen and be with you. If you don’t have words, that’s ok. We can sit here in the silence together.”

When you turn towards your pain in this way there’s a sacred shift that takes place. You disarm your own walls. The real you can finally come forward. You break open. You find the deepest truth of who you are beneath all of the layers. Through compassion, your true self will bravely arise.

Attunement

Your body is the medium through which your nervous system, emotions and subconscious speak to you. It is crucial to learn to interpret its cues. Attunement brings presence of mind to what is going on inside of you. Attunement asks: What is my inner wisdom trying to communicate to me? Perhaps you notice a shift in your mood or energy; you maybe feel tired or sad and don’t know why. This is your invitation to tune in and get curious.

What sensations do you notice? Check in with your neck, throat, shoulders, chest, and belly. Is there tension? Stiffness? Restriction to your breathing?
When you notice these physical sensations, ask yourself: what is my body trying to communicate with me? Is there an emotion attached to the sensation? Create space for the feeling. Just notice what is. As you practice this, you will learn to interpret what your body is communicating with you.

Togetherness

Togetherness brings nurturing care to your innermost self and it is the antidote to self-abandonment. Togetherness says: Hi dear one, I know you’ve had to navigate scary things on your own before. But this time you don’t have to. You’re not alone. I am here.

You cannot live in the truth of who you are if you reject parts of ourselves. Holding sacred presence with these parts allows you to build a relationship with them. As you practice presence, you will come to learn that none of these parts of you were ever anything to be ashamed of, they only ever needed to be held with loving safety.

The next time you notice unkind dialogue in your mind, pause and ask yourself: What does this part need? Is she scared? Ashamed? Lonely? Hold the togetherness. You don’t need fixing. Your emotions don’t need problem solving. They need your presence.

Yield:

To yield is to surrender. It means letting go of trying to control the pain, change it, fix it, or lesson its intensity. In the beginning these experiences might feel like a tsunami; your emotions might roar. The longer they’ve been suppressed, the stronger they will feel at first. This is how you know you’re on the right path. It may feel like everything is falling apart. But in reality, you are breaking open. This is where the truth is felt and the true you is found.

The pain will not release until it is met fully. By exploring these inner truths, you discover the wisdom within that will lead you out of the shadows, like a lantern lighting the way.

Acceptance:

All of the above steps help lead to the deep, nourishing state within: acceptance. Where there has been self-rejection and suppression, acceptance mends these parts back together. While resistance binds us to our suffering, acceptance is what loosens our grip and softens our inner tensions. Your spirit can exhale in the arms of acceptance.

Resistance is built upon judgment and fear; acceptance is built upon trust and surrender. While acceptance doesn’t necessarily take away the pain or solve all our problems, it is the place where inner peace is found. Acceptance says: I do not need to be perfect to be loved, cherished, and honored. Acceptance begins with yourself…and watch as it naturally extends out to those around you.

The practice of Satya is a profoundly courageous one. It is beautifully raw and tender; meeting the deepest parts of yourself is fulfilling and enlightening and at times, the most gut wrenching. As you deepen your practice, the more aligned you become. Your integrity and intuition are strengthened. This will always, always, guide you Home.

Below is a daily practice to start implementing by using the wisdom of your body—your body always tells the truth. This inner attunement is what allows you to interpret its messages.

Daily 7 minute practice:
Read through the practice, then begin.

First thing every morning close your eyes. Place one hand on your belly, one hand on your heart. Sway side to side, like a tree flowing in the wind. This signals inward safety, comfort and connection.
Invite in compassion.
Turn your attention to the centerline of your body: your throat, upper chest, belly. Notice if there are any sensations in these areas of your body. Tension in your jaw. Raised shoulders. Restricted breathing. As you exhale, bring the intention of relaxing your body. Take a few moments to feel into the centerline.
This centerline is your core, like the trunk of a tree.
From this place of internal connection, attune your awareness to your entire body, to the felt sense: do you feel achy, hollow, itchy, relaxed, expanded, warm (click here for a sensory list)? Allow these sensations to be, just as they are. Notice where you feel them in your body.
Ask yourself:
What do I need in this moment to feel safe?
Attune. Let your inner knowing speak. Continue to notice any sensory feedback, emerging images, or thoughts.
Spend a few breaths here, holding the togetherness.
Soften your shoulders and your jaw.
Remind yourself you are here to fully accept and embrace whatever comes up.
Gently yield to the process of presence.
It is safe to just be.
Does your inner voice reveal anything?
Stay a few moments here, 3 - 5 breaths.
When your practice feels complete, finish with one full breath, extending your exhale all the way out. Feel free to jot down any notes.

Remember, this is a practice, not a performance. You are not searching for answers, you are creating space for presence. Perhaps nothing will reveal itself in the moment, but by bringing presence to your body this gives your inner wisdom a voice. She will reveal herself when she is ready. Set the intention to stay attuned throughout the day.

Dear one,
May you live in truth.
May you return to Wholeness.
May you know love.
And may you always remember that you are good inside.

I choose peace

I choose peace..
in the sacred unknowing
in the sacred resistance
in the sacred change
in the sacred fear
in the sacred joy
in the sacred gratitude
in the sacred impermanence
in the sacred beautiful
in the sacred gift that is
to be alive

I cultivate peace
Where there is resistance, I lean into discomfort and soften
Where there is uncertainty, I trust the unfolding and believe
Where there is discomfort, I welcome her in, like an old wise friend
Where there is doubt, I turn toward fear - curiously, tenderly, bravely
Where there is urgency, I let go and choose presence - this moment, this breath
Where there is anxiety, I release gripping and let all be

I embrace peace
as I listen to the wind, swaying softly among the trees
as I feel the sun, tingling my skin with energy and warmth
as I see the setting sun, changing colors striking and soft
as I touch the earth with my own bare feet
as I smell the air fresh and anew
as I savor the simplicity of this moment - here and now
as I connect to the cadence of this breath
The rhythm of life

What is peace?
Peace is all of those things -
But most of all
She is the quiet, gentle embrace of every ripple and wave and each moment surrendered

May you soften
May you release
May you embrace
May you abide in peace