There's a reason why Patanjali put yama (moral injunctions) and niyama (fixed observances) long before meditation. He states in the Yoga Sutras: ahimsa satyaasteyabrahmacaryaaparigrahahyamah.35 Non-violence, truth, abstention from stealing, continence, and absence of greed for possessions beyond one's need are the five pillars of yama. Regarding fixed observances, he says: Saucasantosatapahsvadhyayaisvarapranidhananiniyamah. Cleanliness, contentment, religious zeal, self-study and surrender of the self to the supreme Self or God are the niyamas.
