Each month's satsang theme — written so the wisdom can travel beyond the circle.
The Yamas and Niyamas are not rules — they are invitations. Each one is a doorway into a way of being that yogis have been exploring for thousands of years. Each month, one doorway opens in our Satsang. Here, those openings are written down — so the wisdom can travel beyond the room.
Asteya — non-stealing — is often understood only literally. But the deeper teaching reveals how we steal far more subtly: we steal time, attention, credit, possibilities, and joy — from ourselves and from others. Jealousy is a form of stealing. Comparing your story to someone else's is a form of stealing. Taking more than you need is a form of stealing.
In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali teaches that when Asteya is established in a person, all jewels come to them. The paradox: when we stop grasping, everything naturally arrives.
Ahimsa is the first and greatest of the Yamas — placed first because everything else rests upon it. We understand it quickly as physical non-violence. But the subtler teaching cuts closer to home: the most constant violence in many of our lives is the violence we direct inward.
The relentless self-criticism. The contempt for our own body. The way we speak to ourselves in moments of failure. The Bhagavad Gita speaks of Ahimsa as a divine quality — a quality of the Self that knows its own nature. To practice Ahimsa toward yourself is to begin to recognise your own divinity.
Satya — truth — sounds simple until you try to live it. The classical teaching from the Yoga Sutras places Ahimsa before Satya for a reason: truth must always be filtered through non-violence. A truth spoken without kindness becomes a weapon. A kindness that avoids truth becomes a betrayal.
Patanjali teaches that when Satya is established in a person, their words become so powerful that whatever they say comes true. This is not magic — it is the natural consequence of perfect alignment between thought, word, and action. When there is no gap between what you feel and what you say, reality bends toward your words.
As each satsang unfolds through 2026, a new teaching from the Yamas and Niyamas will be added to this library. Subscribe to receive each new teaching directly in your inbox.
Join the Sangha NewsletterSatsang explores the first two limbs — the Yamas and Niyamas — the ethical and observance principles that form the very foundation of the path.
"These themes are universal spiritual teachings and can be explored alongside any faith or non-secular life."
Vanessa da Silva