A few years ago, I was just beginning my journey as a yoga teacher after spending several years as a stay-at-home mum.
Like many people returning to work after a career break, I was not only trying to rebuild my career but my confidence too.
It so happened that no one turned up in the class. As I packed my things and drove home, my mind wasn’t dwelling on the empty class. It was rehearsing a conversation I thought I was about to have with my eldest child.
My son started taking a keen interest in my work and would often ask, ‘How many people came today?’ For a moment, I thought about making up a number.
It would have been such a small lie. I would have protected my pride and spared myself from admitting that no one had turned up because I considered it as my failure.
Then I remembered the teachings of Patanjali Yoga Sutra, I remembered Satya which means truthfulness.
So when he asked, I told him the truth.
His response?
‘It’s okay. It happens.’
What a relief it was to hear these words! I had spent the whole journey home preparing for disappointment that existed only in my imagination.
Turns out, it wasn’t the truth that made me feel unsafe, but the story I had created around it.
What Is Satya?
In the Yoga Sutras, Satya, or truthfulness, is the second of the Yamas, the ethical principles that form the foundation of the eight-limbed path of yoga.
Yoga Sutra 2.36
Satya pratishthayam kriya phala ashrayatvam.
‘When one is established in truthfulness, actions and their results become aligned.’
Satya is often understood as telling the truth to others, but it also asks us to be honest with ourselves.
It invites us to notice when our actions drift away from what we know, deep down, to be true.
Sometimes that means saying no when we’ve always said yes.
Admitting we’re struggling instead of pretending everything is fine.
Or sometimes it simply means letting go of the stories we’ve created in our own minds.
Why It Matters for the Nervous System
As our nervous system is constantly asking, Am I safe?, we often think the answer depends on what is happening around us but it also depends on what is happening within us.
When we spend our energy pretending, people-pleasing, or hiding parts of ourselves, our bodies carry that burden.
Living in alignment doesn’t remove life’s challenges, but it does remove the exhausting effort of being someone we’re not.
Satya Needs Ahimsa
In the previous article, I explored Ahimsa, the practice of non-violence and self-compassion.
The two principles belong together. As truth without kindness can become harsh, kindness without truth can become avoidance.
When they appear to come into conflict, Ahimsa invites us to consider not only whether something is true, but also how that truth is expressed.
A traditional dilemma often used to explore this relationship is this-
Imagine someone runs past you, frightened and trying to escape. A few moments later, a group of people arrives and asks you, did you see where that person went?
You know that if you tell the truth, that person’s life could be in danger but if you lie, you are no longer being truthful.
What would you choose?
This kind of situation reminds us that the Yamas are not rigid rules to follow without awareness. They invite us to develop wisdom and discernment. Satya asks us to value truth. Ahimsa asks us to consider the impact of our actions. Yoga philosophy rarely offers simple rules to follow. Instead, it encourages us to cultivate awareness, compassion and discernment.
Is there an area of your life where you are pretending everything is fine?
Or saying yes when your body is quietly saying no?
Perhaps your nervous system is not asking you to try harder. Maybe it is inviting you to come back into alignment with what you already know to be true. Living your truth may not always be comfortable but it is often far less exhausting than pretending to be someone you’re not.