Yoga Philosophy in Practice (Part 1): How the Yamas Shape My Teaching
- Sam Turner
- May 16
- 6 min read
Hello curious person,
This has been a blog post I’ve been meaning to write for a long time. It feels important to share. As I’m sure you’ve heard hundreds of times, yoga is not just a movement methodology. There’s an underlying philosophy working behind the scenes — one that’s probably mentioned far less than it should be. I don’t often talk about it in class either — but that doesn’t mean it’s not there. Even if I don’t always talk about it, I bring this philosophy into my actions, both on and off the yoga mat. When it comes to philosophy, I’d much rather let my actions do the talking.
I bring the philosophy of yoga into each and every class with a few basic things. They’re small shifts in the language I use and the way I guide the class — ones that help reinforce the deeper principles of yoga.. I say they’re simple, but the truth is that they can be hard to come by as we navigate a world constantly telling us where we should be, what we should be doing, and how we should be living our lives.
Let’s do a little bit of background first.
Just a quick note before we dive in: I’m not an expert in yoga philosophy — there are many people who know far more than I do.
The eight limbs of yoga, outlined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Pa-Tan-Jali), offer a framework for living with awareness, discipline, and connection. They’re not a rigid system, but rather a set of interwoven practices that guide the journey from how we relate to others, to how we relate to ourselves — and eventually to deep inner stillness. While this structure has shaped much of what we understand as yoga today, it’s worth remembering that Patanjali represents just one thread in a much wider tapestry of yoga traditions.
Within the eight limbs, we find:
Yama (ethics), Niyama (discipline), Asana (posture), Pranayama (breath), Pratyahara (withdrawal), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (enlightenment).
Each of these outlines aspects of this broad and layered practice we call yoga — a practice ultimately rooted in the idea of union: with ourselves, with others, and with something beyond.
I know, I know — it may come as a surprise that there’s a little more going on beneath the surface than Downward Facing Dog.
Originally, I planned to write about both the Yamas and the Niyamas in a single blog post — but I quickly realised there was far too much to say. So, I’ve split them into two parts. In this piece, I’ll share how I weave the Yamas into our classes, in my own personal way.
Yamas
The Yamas are often understood as guidelines for how we relate to the world around us. In class, that world is you — the people in the room with me, the ones I’m connecting with in real time. With that in mind, I’m going to share how I relate to each Yama through the time we spend together in class. I hope that by sharing these moments, the ideas become easier to connect with.
Ahimsa – Non-violence
I bring this concept into our classes by offering space — space to move as you need, pause when you want, and take a moment for yourself without pressure. My hope is that you feel a sense of kindness and understanding every time you step into the room.
Ahimsa isn’t just about avoiding harm — it’s about creating a culture of care, where your body is listened to and respected. That starts with me, and how I hold the space for you to explore.
I try to listen as best I can to what’s going on in your body, and work with that.
Struggling with your wrists? Let’s see if we can integrate a chair into the sequence — that might offer support without compromising your experience. Finding balance is difficult today? We’ll bring in the wall, a prop, or even a piece of furniture to give you a steadier base.
I might not have all the answers, but I’ll always do my best to respond with care.
Kindness here isn’t abstract. It’s part of the way I teach — woven into choices, options, and the belief that your body deserves to be met with respect and support, exactly as it is.
Satya – Truthfulness
I bring truthfulness into class by sharing the truth — how I’m really feeling, which poses I do and don’t love, where I’d hang out for longer, and which ones I might skip altogether. I share these things not to make it about me, but to remind you that you don’t have to pretend. You can have preferences. You can have off days. You can make your own choices.
By being open about my experience, I hope to create a space where you feel safe to be open too. Where you don’t feel the need to perform or get it “right,” but instead feel free to live your truth, just as I live mine.
Satya isn’t about being brutally honest — it’s about being real, with compassion. It’s an invitation to be authentic, both in how you move and how you feel.
Asteya – Non-stealing
I like to keep this one short and sweet with the best example I have in my arsenal: I never want to steal your time.
I do my best to start on time and make sure we finish on time. I’ve had too many experiences of classes or meetings running 10–20 minutes over and completely throwing off the rest of my day. I used to think I was just being pedantic — until I was in a yoga class where the teacher mentioned Asteya as part of their theme, and I realised: I’ve been honouring this all along.
In a world where people often feel entitled to take more time than they’ve been given — those meetings that drag on, that phone call that never ends on time — I think it’s more important than ever to respect boundaries. You might not have an extra 10 minutes. You shouldn’t have to explain why, especially when I’ve listed my class as an hour long.
Asteya, to me, means respecting the time you’ve set aside — keeping my word, and never taking what you haven’t offered.
Brahmacharya – Energy Management
Brahmacharya is often described as moderation — using your energy wisely. It’s about recognising that we don’t have endless reserves and making space to move in a way that’s sustainable, not just strong.
For example, in our current ‘Free-Flow Hips’ series — a sequence focused on hip mobility and exploration — I make sure to weave in what I think of as “pause poses.” These are moments in the middle of class where you can ease off, soften the concentration, and just be. It’s not about stopping entirely — it’s about not spending all your energy in one go.
I also encourage you to match your practice to your energy, not the other way around. That means plenty of options, invitations, and reminders that you’re allowed to do less — or more — depending on what you need.
Brahmacharya, for me, isn’t about restraint — it’s about respecting energy as a resource and giving it space to replenish.
Aparigraha – Non-grasping
Aparigraha is the practice of letting go — of the idea that there’s a “right” way to move, a perfect pose to achieve, or a gold star for stillness. It invites us to release expectations and explore what actually works in our own bodies.
This shows up in my classes through language and layering. We begin with a foundation and build from there — but each layer is always optional. You can take the shape somewhere else entirely, or stay with the version that feels most like home in your body.
If a pose doesn’t work for you, we’ll find an alternative. Or better yet — you move into something that works for you, drawing on your own body knowledge and everything you’ve learned through regular practice.
That’s not missing out — that’s what yoga looks like when it’s yours.
Even at rest, you’re allowed to move. Eyes open, gentle rocking, fidgeting — I’ll remind you that stillness isn’t the goal if it doesn’t feel right. This is your practice, not mine.
I come in with a class plan — but it’s only ever an outline. Some days we follow it closely; other days, we pause and explore something completely different. Part of my job is knowing when to stick to the structure and when to let it go. Aparigraha, again.
Letting go doesn’t mean giving up — it means meeting what’s really here, instead of chasing what we think should be.
These are just some of the ways the Yamas guide my teaching — not as rules to be enforced, but as values that quietly shape the way we move, rest, and relate in class. There’s still more to explore, especially when it comes to how we treat ourselves on this path. That’s where the Niyamas come in — and I’ll share more about those soon.
I'm looking forward to writing the second part of this post
Sam
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