OCTOBER REFLECTIONS: A PERSONAL COLUMN ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA AND STAYING TRUE
As I step into this new chapter – picking up my business again and returning to social media – I find myself hesitating. Not because I lack ideas, or even clarity on the work I want to be doing, but because of the complicated relationship I have with the platforms we so often rely on to share and connect.
Over the years, I’ve watched people close to me get caught in the undertow of Instagram. Friends who were once grounded and genuine seem to have slowly shifted into versions of themselves more shaped by an online world. I’ve watched as their days over time have become about planning holidays or situations for content, or aligning with people they didn’t genuinely value, just to be seen. Life then becomes more about spinning a story than about being true. Watching from the sidelines, their life has seemed to morph into something staged for the screen, rather than lived for themselves. In some cases it has been painful to watch, and it has made me determined not to go down that path. What I know is this: I want to share as a practitioner, not to be an influencer. To pass on knowledge and simply share what feels true and helpful.
Since I first joined, social media has shifted so much. Back then, it was enough to share a photo, a reflection, or a tip around my topic of expertise. Now, I’m having to create reels, voice-overs, content calendars, and have professional production. Or perhaps, the professional production is my way of seeking to maintain distance – treating it as content, not self. But even then, the question lingers: how do we show up without losing ourselves? Because by turning the whole thing professional, I’ve somehow also stripped away my personality from the platform.
Maybe you feel this too? Perhaps you’ve caught yourself adjusting a moment to make it more “shareable,” or felt the subtle pull to measure your worth by engagement. Most of us, if we’re honest, have tasted this staged-ness in some way. And with it, a quiet pressure: to showcase how accomplished we are, or how interesting lives we lead. It’s a weight that can creep in even when we’re grounded - shaping not just what we post, but how we live.
Here’s what I’m reminding myself this month: social media is a tool, not the sum of who we are. The practice is not about resisting it altogether, but about noticing when it starts to pull away from who we truly are. A simple way to reframe it is this: before posting, pause and ask: Is this true for me? Does it reflect something I genuinely want to share? Can I fully own what I’m saying? That small act of awareness can keep us grounded in our own integrity. Perhaps this deepening autumn is a chance to reflect on how you want to engage with the digital spaces you’re in. Do they amplify your voice – or distract you from it? Do they nourish your values – or chip away at them?
One thing I’ve realised myself is that Instagram is a mirror: when I’m in a good place it amplifies positivity, and when I’m not, it pulls me down. In that way, it’s not unlike alcohol. For me, this is part of the same work I bring to physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing – noticing what pulls us off-centre, and finding practices that return us to balance. So here’s my invitation to you: Maybe take a moment this month to notice your own rhythm with social media. You may choose to set clearer boundaries, to share more intentionally, or even to take a pause. Whatever it looks like, the reminder is the same: your worth is not defined by an app, but by the life you are living beyond the screen.
I’ll be bringing these reflections with me to India where I’m letting myself dive into the powerful art and world of Kundalini yoga.
Much love, Mai
