The yamas are related to the second limb of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the niyamas, in that the yamas describe the restraints needed to live an ethical life, while the niyamas describe the necessary observances. This can also be thought of as the yamas being the “don’ts” and the niyamas being the “dos.”
In the Eight Limbs of Yoga as outlined by Patanjali, the five yamas are:
- Ahimsa: nonviolence or nonharming of all creatures, including ourselves. Physical, mental and emotional violence are all to be avoided and, as such, ahimsa is often considered to guide yogis to practice compassion and nonjudgment as a tool for cultivating nonviolence.
- Satya: truthfulness or honesty in words and actions. It is important that this is practiced alongside the first yama of nonviolence as the need to speak the truth must be balanced with the need to not harm another.
- Asteya: nonstealing of other's property or time. This means not taking anything which has not been freely and willingly given, and includes not committing or being complicit in theft, exploitation and oppression.
- Brahmacharya: chastity, which can also be interpreted as sexual restraint or marital fidelity. This can also be considered as continence or moderation in all our impulses, not just sexual ones. Brahmacharya is believed to help the yogi become healthier, wiser and stronger, as it is said that it will conserve energy, which can then be better employed to achieve higher spiritual aims.
- Aparigraha: non-coveting. This is a practice of letting go of all that is not needed and only possessing what is completely necessary. It is said that this helps us to see the one thing we do truly have, Atman, or our true Self, without the distraction of clinging to possessions.
There are believed to be at least 60 ancient sacred texts which describe the yamas, many of which are written in Sanskrit. These include variations on Patanjali’s list of five yamas, with some texts listing up to 10 yamas. The other variations order the yamas differently and emphasize different aspects.