The Yamas, the first limb of Yoga, is a practice of restraining 5 natural life forces that, when unrestrained, can be destructive. Satya, or Truthfulness—think restraint of the tendency to be dishonest—is the second of these 5 practices. It is situated within the boundaries of Ahimsa, or nonviolence—in speaking our truth, we simultaneously seek to cause no harm. Many Yoga teachers believe that it is preferable, when practicing Satya, to refrain from saying honest things if they may hurt someone’s feelings.

Practicing Satya goes deeper than our words. It’s about living in alignment with our true selves. With maturity, we begin to leave behind the “shoulds” and start to walk with what actually is. For example, we might leave behind the career path that we thought we wanted in favor of the one that serves us best, within the boundaries of still meeting our financial needs.

We stop judging ourselves for the way that we feel, and respond instead to the feelings as they arise, without acting them out in a way that harms ourselves or others. There is no universal truth, just hearing ourselves and seeking to live consistently with that which we value.

As more and more you practice Satya, your life becomes more easeful. It’s not that you get everything that you want or all will be awesome, simply that you will recognize the way in which your outer world begins to directly reflect the inner. You begin to manifest, and that which you manifest will reflect back to you the truth of what’s inside.