Yamas and Niyamas
Also known as: Yogic Ethics, The Ten Observances
Sanskrit: yama (restraint) and niyama (observance).
The yamas and niyamas are the first two limbs of Patanjali's eightfold yoga path, forming its ethical foundation. The five yamas, including ahimsa, non-harming, and satya, truthfulness, govern conduct toward others, while the five niyamas, including santosha, contentment, and svadhyaya, self-study, govern personal discipline and inner conduct.
The five yamas are ahimsa (non-harming), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (right use of energy), and aparigraha (non-grasping). The five niyamas are saucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (disciplined effort), svadhyaya (self-study), and ishvara pranidhana (surrender to something greater than oneself). Traditional teaching places them before asana in the eight limbs, treating ethical grounding as the foundation the rest of the practice builds on.
The five yamas, ahimsa (non-harming), satya (truthfulness), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (right use of energy) and aparigraha (non-grasping), govern conduct toward others, while the five niyamas, saucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (disciplined effort), svadhyaya (self-study) and ishvara pranidhana (surrender), govern one's relationship to oneself. They are traditionally taught as the necessary ethical foundation beneath asana and pranayama, not a separate advanced topic, since a stable meditative mind is considered difficult to cultivate on top of an unresolved ethical life.
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Related Terms
Ashtanga Yoga (Eight Limbs)
Ashtanga Yoga, in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, refers to the eightfold path of yamas, niyamas, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi, a progressive framework moving from ethical conduct through physical and breath practice to meditative absorption. This classical meaning is distinct from the modern dynamic physical style called Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.
Ahimsa
Ahimsa is non-harming, the first and foundational yama in Patanjali's eightfold yoga path, extending beyond physical violence to include harm caused through speech, thought, and intention, toward oneself as well as others. It is also central to Buddhist and Jain ethics and was applied as a political principle by Mahatma Gandhi.