The 8 Limbs of Yoga: 1. Yama: How We Relate to the World

The first limb of yoga, the Yamas, is all about how we move through the world in relationship with others. These five principles are:

• non-harming

• truthfulness

• non-stealing

• healthy boundaries

• non-grasping

The Yamas invite us to look at the subtle ways we create friction or harmony in our daily lives.

Rather than moral rules, the Yamas are more like invitations: “What would it feel like to live with less force? More honesty? Less scarcity?” They guide us toward integrity not through perfection, but through awareness. Starting here grounds the entire yogic path in relational wisdom—because how we treat others often reveals the truth of how we treat ourselves.