Yama and Niyama the way to a Yogic life
In the West, the Yama and Niyama could be related to the ten commandments of Christianity, as moral or behavioral principles to lead a life governed by values, both on a personal level and to live in society.
Unlike the commandments, the Yama and Niyama differ from these in that the Yama refer to the restrictions that we must maintain at a moral level, and the Niyama indicate the actions and practices that we must follow in our daily lives.
The Yama and Niyama appear in the Hindu sacred scriptures, both in the Vedas and the Upanishads, and date back more than 6,000 years.
Depending on the sources, we can find different amount of Yamas and Niyamas, but in a summary we can consider that there are 5 Yamas and 5 main Niyamas.
The Yamas are: Ahiṃsā or non-violence, Satya or sincerity, Asteya or non-stealing, Brahmacharya or continence, and Aparigraha or non-greed.
The Niyamas are: Shaucha or purity, Santosha or acceptance, Tapas or self-discipline, Svādhyāya or self-analysis, and Īśvarapraṇidhāna or identification with a higher Consciousness.