Satya Meaning in Yoga: Living Your Truth
Satya is the second of the Yamas, and it goes far beyond honesty. Satya is living, speaking, + breathing truth. It’s about embracing authenticity, expressing your true self, and cultivating deep connections.
In essence, Satya encourages us to align our thoughts, words, and actions with our deepest values.
Getting honest
If we were to describe Satya + its qualities, we’d use words like honesty, truth, integrity, trust, sincerity, + being genuine.
Our belief system and values must align with our actions. If they don’t, we risk being hypocritical.
Satya is not just a concept to learn — like all the Yamas and Niyamas, it is meant to be lived. Practising Satya through our behaviours, actions, + thoughts can be liberating, empowering, and deeply aligned with joy, fulfilment, + living our #bestlife.
It’s a completely personal practice. We all need to discover what truthfully makes our souls happy. Yoga — especially the practice of Satya — helps uncover our happiness, passion, purpose + freedom.
Living in your alignment
Many of us, myself included in the past, don’t always live in alignment with our truth. We spend time with toxic people rather than like-minded souls. We work in jobs that don’t light us up. Our hobbies + passions often get neglected.
Oscar Wilde said it perfectly:
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
Yoga teaches us to live — not just exist.
Finding your truth
So how do you find your truth + practise Satya?
It starts with reconnecting with yourself. The real you — the one in flow, expansion + alignment. The one that notices what feels right, not wrong.
You do this by doing what lights you up + letting go of what doesn’t.
“If it raises your vibration, it’s for you. If it lowers your vibration, it’s not for you.”
Connect with yourself
Modern life often disconnects us from our bodies + minds. We ignore messages from our bodies — burnout signals, excitement, anxiety, or joy. We fail to notice our intuition + gut instincts.
We also stay in comfort zones to play it “safe,” but practising Satya asks us to honour ourselves by stepping into alignment — even if it feels uncomfortable.
All emotions — happiness, sadness, excitement, fear — are teachers. Listening to them helps us live truthfully.
Journaling is a powerful tool for uncovering Satya. It helps us:
Peel back layers to reveal the truth
Question assumptions
Reflect on what isn’t in alignment
Explore our feelings + reactions
Some reflection prompts:
What lights you up?
What is for you? What isn’t?
How do certain people or situations make you feel physically + emotionally?
Where have you ignored your intuition or gut instinct?
Where have you said yes when you meant no? Could you have been kindly honest?
Are your words backed up by your actions?
Do you feel heard, seen, valued + respected? Do you extend the same to others?
Alignment + action
True change requires responsibility, self-reflection, + action. The ego might resist — that’s normal. But you can’t fix what you don’t acknowledge. You must be the change.
You always have a choice: stay stuck or take inspired action. Practising Satya helps you live your highest vibrational life by giving energy to what aligns with your truth.
Your people
“You journey differently with the right people in your life. The right people understand you + nourish you on a whole other level.”
Spend your time with high-vibe, like-minded souls. Recognise that some people aren’t for you — and that’s okay. Living truthfully + practising Satya helps you accept this naturally.
Bye bye ego
Being truthful may trigger the ego. Owning your actions + acknowledging past mistakes is part of growth. Let the past be a home you learn from, not live in. Practising Satya alongside Ahimsa — compassion + respect for yourself — makes this work empowering, not punishing.
Practice Satya
Reflect on these questions to bring Satya into your daily life:
Can you see things in a different light?
Can you reflect but still honour what you know to be true?
Where have you made assumptions?
Is there evidence to back up your “truth”?
Why do certain people or experiences trigger you? What can you learn?
Where have you ignored your intuition?
Are your words + actions aligned?
Are you being truthful with yourself + others?
LEARN MORE
Discover the meaning of Satya + explore the other Yamas + Niyamas in the ‘Yoga Lifestyle Course,’ inside the ‘Inspired Club’ — your online space for yoga-inspired living — or through my other yoga-inspired lifestyle offerings.