🌿 The Five Yamas: Living and Working with Integrity
Hello, hello, podcast land — and Substack land.
My name is Miriam Raquel Sands (though I go by Raquel), and I’m a career and business strategist. I help individuals quit jobs that no longer serve them, build businesses that actually fit the life they want, and realign with purpose when the old map stops making sense.
This post is based on the first episode of my new series on living a values-based life through yogic philosophy. If you’re someone who’s always reinventing yourself, who’s building a career or business with intention, this is for you.
Today, we start with the Yamas — five principles from yoga philosophy that help us orient to truth, integrity, and balance in how we move through the world. (Next week, we’ll go into the Niyamas, which are the practices that help us live those values in action.)
Let’s begin.
🕊 Ahimsa – Nonviolence
Nonviolence goes far beyond “don’t harm others.” It asks us to stop harming ourselves through denial, neglect, or fear.
Ask yourself:
Where am I in denial — in my career, business, or relationships?
What truth am I withholding from myself because facing it would require change?
Nonviolence starts with vulnerability. It’s the foundation of every other value because you can’t build truth on top of self-betrayal.
🔍 Satya – Truthfulness
If Ahimsa is inner honesty, Satya is outer expression. It’s what happens after you admit the truth — when you decide what you’re going to do about it.
Ask yourself:
What’s actually within my control right now?
What feels possible, reasonable, or accessible in this season?
Truthfulness is the bridge between awareness and aligned action.
💫 Asteya – Non-Stealing
Beyond the literal sense, Asteya is about not stealing from your own potential. Not robbing yourself of the life you actually want because of fear, obligation, or habit.
Ask yourself:
Where have I not shown up fully — maybe staying in a job just because it’s “safe” or it matches my degree?
Where am I following someone else’s definition of success instead of my own?
⚖️ Brahmacharya – Non-Excess
This is the practice of balance — everything in moderation.
I learned this firsthand during a six-figure chapter of my career. On paper, I had “made it.” Inside, I was exhausted, disconnected, and spending my energy faster than I could replenish it.
Ask yourself:
What are you indulging in that’s creating more stress than satisfaction?
Where is there too much of what you don’t need — and not enough of what actually sustains you?
🌬 Aparigraha – Non-Possessiveness
This final Yama is about letting go — of control, of old identities, of jobs or relationships that once made you feel safe but now keep you small.
Ask yourself:
What are you holding onto — physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually — that no longer serves you?
Where are you trying to control outcomes instead of trusting your own capacity to adapt?
When we release what no longer aligns, we return to our inner stability — that quiet center that can’t be taken by anyone or anything.
🌞 Closing Thoughts
The Yamas invite us to live and work from a place of alignment — where our inner truth guides our outer actions. They’re not rules but reminders.
Start small: choose one question per week and journal on it. These reflections aren’t meant to overwhelm; they’re meant to bring you home.
Until next time,
✨ Raquel
