What is truly Yours?

This week I’ve been reflecting on something that often comes up when we spend time with family, friends, or even in busy environments. Sometimes we leave feeling completely drained, and not necessarily because anything has gone wrong.

I’ve realised that I spend a lot of time observing, monitoring, and sensing the emotions of the people around me. It’s a gift in many ways. It allows us to connect deeply, to empathise, and to care. But I’ve also come to see that there is a difference between witnessing someone’s experience and carrying it as our own.

In yoga, we speak about the concept of sakshi, the witness. The part of ourselves that can observe thoughts, emotions, sensations, and experiences without becoming completely entangled in them.

We practice this on the mat all the time. We notice sensation without immediately reacting. We notice discomfort without becoming consumed by it. We notice thoughts without chasing every one of them down a rabbit hole.

The invitation is to bring that same practice into our relationships.

When someone we love is anxious, angry, sad, or struggling, we can offer compassion and support. But compassion doesn’t require us to take ownership of their emotions. We can care deeply without carrying everything.

A question I’ve been sitting with lately is: “What is truly mine right now?”

What am I feeling? What belongs to me? And what belongs to someone else?

The Bhagavad Gita reminds us that we are responsible for our actions, our intentions, and how we show up in the world. We are not responsible for controlling outcomes or managing another person’s journey.

This is where healthy boundaries become so important. Not walls that shut people out, but boundaries like the skin of the body, soft, permeable, and protective. Allowing connection while still conserving our own energy.

As you move through today, perhaps notice where you tend to absorb, hold, or carry.

Can you soften into the role of the witness?

Can you offer yourself permission to let go of what isn’t yours to hold?

Like all yogic teachings, this isn’t something we master once and for all. It’s a practice. One we return to again and again with awareness, compassion, and curiosity

“Compassion allows us to walk beside another’s suffering; wisdom reminds us we do not have to carry it.”