The Yama: Strengthening Social Connection
Human beings are social creatures. Hard-wired to rely on one another, early humans depended on social connection to survive. Whether hunting, traveling, or living together, connection kept us safe, fed, and warm. We survived because we were a collective, evolving, together, from one human species to another.
As technologically advanced as we are today, our need for social connection remains the same. It’s an inherent part of our collective well-being, and without it, we risk experiencing profound suffering.
According to 2023 research from the U.S. Surgeon General, people experiencing loneliness and social isolation are at significantly higher risk for heart disease, depression, weakened immunity, and other serious health conditions.(4)
While this is deeply concerning, there are many ways to cultivate connection and engage meaningfully with others. Everyday interactions such as greeting a neighbor, holding the door for a stranger, sharing a meal with a friend can foster a sense of belonging. Yogic philosophy provides guidance for engaging with others with the yama, the first limb in the eight-limb path of yoga.
The yama help us engage with the world, nurturing and deepening our social connections. They teach compassion and empathy, guiding us as we expand our communities and build authentic relationships.
The Dangers of Loneliness and Isolation
In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General published a report declaring loneliness an epidemic affecting Americans nationwide. Drawing from extensive data and research, the report outlined the profound health consequences of social isolation and concluded that its risks are comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Loneliness and social isolation are similar, overlapping concerns.
Loneliness is defined as a “subjective distressing experience that results from perceived isolation or inadequate meaningful connections, where inadequate refers to the discrepancy or unmet need between an individual’s preferred and actual experience.”
Social isolation is defined as “objectively having few social relationships, social roles, group memberships, and infrequent social interaction.”
The research discovered that loneliness and social isolation increase the risk of stroke by 32% and heart disease by 26%. They are also linked to a 50% higher risk of depression and dementia, with evidence of “faster cognitive decline among those who are lonely.”
Loneliness and social isolation have been shown to increase overall inflammation, which may weaken the immune system, increase the risk of diabetes, and other illnesses. And furthermore, loneliness may increase the risk of premature death by 26% and social isolation may increase it by 29%.
These conditions have also been shown to heighten overall inflammation, which may weaken the immune system and raise the risk of diabetes and other illnesses. Furthermore, loneliness may increase the risk of premature death by 26% while social isolation may increase it by 29%.(4)
While these factors can affect anyone, the report identified several groups of people most vulnerable to experience loneliness and social isolation:(4)
People with existing health concerns or disabilities
Those who are financially insecure
Older, isolated adults
Young adults
Single parents
People living alone
Minorities
LGBTQ+ groups
Rural residents
Retired military
Those experiencing discrimination or violence
Despite these alarming statistics, not all is hopeless. A 2022 Gallup worldwide poll on the global state of social connections gathered information across 142 countries, participants ranging in ages 15 and up. It found that 72% of people worldwide felt fairly to very socially connected, while 24% reported feeling fairly to very lonely. In the U.S., only 15% said they felt fairly to very lonely, compared to 78% who felt fairly to very connected.(3)
While the epidemic of loneliness may not be as widespread as the Surgeon General’s report suggests, it remains a serious concern.
Expressing the Yama, Expanding Social Connection
Thankfully, social isolation isn’t an all-or-nothing experience. Instead, connection and isolation are more like a wave, ebbing and flowing, dependent on a myriad of variables. Sometimes deep, other times shallow, the depth of social connection depends not on the number of relationships we have, but on their quality. It’s the richness of those connections that makes them truly meaningful.
Key attributes of a quality relationship include reliability and trust as well as being helpful and positive. The frequency of interactions is also an important factor. As we nurture these qualities, our sense of connection expands and deepens.(4)
Yogic philosophy has the wisdom to guide us as we cultivate meaningful relationships and mend the social fabric of our society. The yama are the five observances or ethical principles of yoga. They provide guidance for how we interact with others and how to “be” in the world.
The Yoga Sutra defines the yama as “our attitudes toward our environment.”(2)
They are ahimsa (kindness), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (moderation), and aparigraha (non-hoarding). The first yama is the foundation of all things yoga: kindness.
The Yoga Sutra defines ahimsa as a:
“Consideration for all living things, especially those who are innocent, in difficulty, or worse off than we are.”(2)
A yogi leads their life with kindness, even when sharing a hard truth. A yogi must not lie or be dishonest, which means they shouldn’t tell non-truths to prevent hurting someone’s feelings. But they also cannot deliver a truth harshly. Instead, truth is expressed gently, especially when it may cause pain.
The yama guides us not to steal nor take more than our fair share. They encourage us to be moderate in our actions and behaviors. All of which are rooted in kindness.
The yama can’t really be practiced, instead they are expressed. Expressing the yama in our everyday life will cultivate new relationships and strengthen existing ones. They help us build and sustain our social connections, which in turn benefits us as individuals as well as the collective community.
The principles of the yama guide us to be reliable and trustworthy, two essential qualities of meaningful relationships. One of the simplest and most common ways to express kindness is to help someone when they ask.(1) Going a step further, offering help when you see someone in need builds even deeper trust and reliability.
Places to expand a social circle include the workplace, volunteer organizations, sports teams, and social clubs like book groups or gardening circles. Sharing space and environment makes casual conversation flow easier and helps everyone feel more at ease. As our quality relationships grow, so does our sense of well-being.
The Surgeon General’s research confirms that social connection positively impacts our health. When we feel part of a community, life tends to feel more meaningful, encouraging healthier behaviors like regular exercise and avoiding smoking.(4)
Social connection helps regulate our stress response, offering both physical and mental benefits. We experience less inflammation, which improves our heart health, our mental health and strengthens our immune system. These individual benefits ripple outward into the collective community by reducing healthcare costs and enhancing academic and workplace performance. This all results in us becoming more socially engaged, with more mental and physical energy to be active in our lives.
Concluding Thoughts
To ease the experience of social disconnection, empathy and compassion go a long way in fostering a sense of belonging. As we become more socially engaged and connected, we may experience reductions in inflammation, blood pressure, and stress. These biological shifts support a healthier heart, mind, and immune system. Though we’ve evolved beyond hunting and gathering, social connection remains essential to human survival.
Rooted in kindness, the yama guide us to live a life with empathy and compassion. From this foundation, we refrain from dishonesty or taking from others. Rather than swinging between extremes, we express moderation and find ease in our efforts. We take only what we need and leave the rest; we are never greedy.
Expressing the yama enhances our existing relationships and helps us build new ones. There are countless ways to express the yama and live a kindness-forward life. As we engage with others, we must also extend the same consideration to ourselves. This profound act of self-love strengthens our connection to the collective and deepens our sense of belonging.
Bibliography
1 - BBC Radio 4, The Anatomy of Kindness. “Ten Things We Learned from the World’s Largest Study of Kindness.”
2 - Desikachar, T.K.V. The Heart of Yoga, 174-175. Inner Traditions International, 1995.
3 - Gallup Global Analytics. “The Global State of Social Connections.”
4 - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General. “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community 2023.” Pages 4-34.
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