Exploring the Yamas - Satya (truthfulness)
- Elli Flitton
- Jul 23
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 28
The yamas are the first limb of the eight limbs of yoga, and they provide five ethical principles that invite us to reflect on how we relate to others, the world around us, and ourselves. They aren’t rules or commandments, but gentle restraints that we can choose to follow to enhance our practice of yoga and meditation, supporting both our inner and outer lives.
The second yama, satya, is often translated as truthfulness, but it’s much more than just not telling lies. Satya challenges us to practice honesty and transparency, with ourselves and others, so that we can live with authenticity and integrity.
It’s important to practice satya alongside the first yama, ahimsa (non-violence/kindness), meaning that we should practice truthfulness with compassion and kindness. In other words, we should tell the truth only if it doesn’t cause harm, or in such a way that causes the least harm. We can’t just use satya as an excuse to offer out unsolicited opinions, criticisms or harsh truths!
Here are a few ways you can practice satya, both on and off the mat:
Practicing satya during your yoga practice
Being honest with yourself about what you need from your yoga practice in each moment, on both a physical and emotional level
Not fixating on one way of practicing, accepting changing energy levels and emotional states, and letting your practice change with you
Letting yoga meet you where you are, not where you think you should be
Going to your edge safely, not ignoring or pushing past pain or limitation to get into a posture, or to stay in a posture
Paying attention to the breath, noticing when the breath becomes restricted or shallow, and taking this as a sign to ease off a little bit (the breath doesn’t lie!)
Practicing satya during everyday life
Making space to understand how you’re truly feeling by finding stillness, or slowing down a bit (maybe by closing the eyes and taking a few deep breaths, going for a walk with no headphones, or journaling)
Being honest with yourself and others about your feelings and needs
Practising pausing before reacting, particularly in emotional situations, when it’s often difficult to see things clearly or understand what’s really true
Being honest with yourself about your energy levels and capacity, and saying no when you need to (without guilt)
Letting go of stories you’ve been telling yourself that no longer feel true, and allowing space for new understanding
This idea of satya, of being honest with ourselves about what we need from our yoga practice in each moment, and practicing in a way that honours and supports that, is a huge part of what I love about yoga, and what I think makes yoga feel so different to other movement practices.
Keeping satya in mind helps us to build a personal connection to our yoga practice, moving away from comparison, performance and should thinking (e.g. "I should be able to sit comfortably in Sukhasana without a block", "I should be able to meditate without my mind constantly wondering") and instead letting our practice change with us and meet us where we are, not where we think we should be.
Practicing satya helps us to create deeper connections with ourselves, our yoga practice and others. But just like with ahimsa, practicing satya requires work, perseverance and patience. That’s why we refer to yoga as a practice. All we can do is our best! 💖
Thank you for reading. 💌 I’d love to know what you think - leave a comment or send me a message, I’m always up for chatting about yoga philosophy!
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