The yamas and niyamas are yoga's ethical guidelines laid out in the
first two limbs of Patanjali's eightfold path. They're like a map
written to guide you on your life's journey. Simply put, the yamas are
things not to do, or restraints, while the niyamas are things to do,
or observances.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali rank among the basic philosophical
writings of yoga. There has been and still is a long tradition of
passing it on from teacher to pupil to be practiced and repeated. With
the rhythm of the Sanskrit language wisdom is transported, which
exceeds the simple meaning of the words easily.

The Yoga Sutra, widely regarded as the authoritative text on yoga, is
a collection of aphorisms, outlining the eight limbs of yoga. These
"threads" (as sutra translates from Sanskrit) of wisdom offer
guidelines for living a meaningful and purposeful life. Learn more
about the sutras and Patanjali, the sage who wrote them.