How the 5 Love Languages Can Guide Your Practice and Your Life

Hey there,

Yoga is the practice of connection: to breath, to body, to self, and to others.

So, what happens when we view our relationships through the lens of yoga?

And, what happens when we view our yoga through the lens of love?

This issue is an exploration of The Five Love Languages and how they show up on the mat, in your rituals, and in your daily life as doorways into deeper awareness.

The idea of love languages comes from Dr. Gary Chapman, a counselor and author who noticed that people express and receive love in different ways and that relationships often suffer not from a lack of love, but from a mismatch in how it’s being given. He distilled these into five core patterns: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Physical Touch, Acts of Service, and Receiving Gifts.

Though the concept isn't backed by hard science as a universal truth, its staying power speaks to something we all recognize: we each have a unique emotional fingerprint when it comes to feeling seen, safe, and loved. These five archetypes are more like starting points - languages of the heart that can guide us in both relationship and ritual, both on the mat and in daily life. Whatever language(s) you lean towards, these patterns are more than preferences. They’re reflections of how we seek safety, meaning, and expression.

Society often teaches us to perform love, but what does it mean to actually practice it?

Love Languages in Real Life

Understanding your love language can transform how you show up off the mat, in your relationships, your workplace, and your everyday rhythms. So what are they?

💬 Words of Affirmation: Using positive, intentional words to uplift, affirm, and nurture connection.
Send a message to your friend just to say you’re proud of them. Compliment a coworker’s effort, not just their results. Speak gently to yourself in moments of frustration.

⏳️ Quality Time: Offering your full, present attention to someone as an expression of love and presence.
Put your phone away during conversations with your partner, your children, your friends. Schedule a walk or tea with a loved one and be fully present. In work settings, this might look like showing up early to a meeting to genuinely connect before diving in.

✋ Physical Touch: Using physical connection, or somatic presence, as a way to communicate care, safety, and love.
This could be a hug, a hand on your own heart to recognize anxiety, or gently rubbing your child’s back when they feel overwhelmed. Touch doesn’t have to mean contact, it can also be feeling the weight of your body in a grounded seat, or noticing the sensation of a warm bath water on your skin.

🫶 Acts of Service: Taking thoughtful action to ease another’s burden and show support through doing.
Run the errand your partner is dreading. Bring water to your team during a long day. Even tidying your workspace, cleaning your kitchen or prepping a nourishing lunch is a way to care.

💌 Receiving Gifts: Giving or receiving tangible symbols of thoughtfulness and love, rooted in intention.
This could be a handwritten note, a playlist, a flower from your walk, or your partner’s favorite vegan ice cream when they’re on their moon cycle (hint hint, Flo). The key is intentionality, not extravagance. When it comes to self-love, this might mean enrolling in that class you’ve been eyeing, buying something that truly nourishes you, or honoring a personal milestone.

Learn to Speak Their Language

It’s one thing to find new ways of how you can give love. It’s another to ask those around you how they best receive it.