Satya~Truthfulness
We love practicing asanas (postures), pranayama (breath control/life-force extention), and for some of us meditation because of how we feel afterwards. We simply feel good. And this is largely due to the ultimate intention of the practice which is to experience Wholeness and Union, literally Yoga. When working with the yamas, we have the same intent. While practicing satya with other people and ourselves we begin to feel a deep sense of clarity and connection.
In Sanskrit, sat means the eternal, unchanging truth; ya is the suffix that means "do it"." Satya translated means "actively expressing and being in harmony with the ultimate truth." We start by literally not lying to others or ourself. The ultimate truth is we are always united and whole; practicing satya is a matter of connecting with that reality and interacting with others from that direct space.
Relative truth is filtered through our own beliefs and experiences. But by speaking with the intention of being truthful, we can also practice the first yama, ahimsa, and not harm others. If speaking the truth has truly negative consequences for another, then it is better to say nothing so as to not cause them harm. Of course, this does not mean to lie. Check in with your inner truth and act from there.
In our spiritual practices, when our mind is still, we can 'hear' the vibration of truth. It's a feeling - a 'knowing' that is beyond words. For the yogi, the origin of truthful speech and action is truthful thought. If your thought is that the world is in dire straits right now, then satya means not making it worse. If we are honest with ourselves as well as others, satya builds on ahimsa--thinking, speaking and acting in a straightforward and honest way to promote the welfare of all.
"When a person becomes steadfast in her abstension from falsehood she gets the power of obtaining for others and herself the fruits of good deeds, without having to perform the deeds themselves."
~#36 Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, translated by Swami Prabhavananda
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