Many people don't know about the yamas and niyamas, which are Yoga's ethical guidelines, the foundations of yoga (see 8 limbs of yoga). The 5 Yamas are:

1. Ahimsa (अहिंसा): Nonviolence, non-harming other living beings

2. Satya (सत्य): truthfulness, non-falsehood

3. Asteya (अस्तेय): non-stealing

4. Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य): chastity, marital fidelity or sexual restraint

5. Aparigraha (अपरिग्रह): non-avarice, non-possessiveness (*from Wikipedia)

The 5 Yamas are similar to the 5 Precepts of Buddhism, which are ethical trainings on non-harming:

1) Refraining from taking life

2) Refraining from taking what is not given

3) Refraining from sexual misconduct that causes harm

4) Refraining from lying and dishonesty

5) Refraining from intoxicants that cloud the mind and heart

When someone trains themselves with these 5 trainings, that person gives the gift of fearlessness to countless beings, because others won't be harmed by such a person. The 5 precepts also protect oneself from the negative, harmful consequences of unethical behavior. There is another version:

1) Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine, I undertake the training to respect and protect life.

2) Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine, I undertake the training to take only what is freely given to me.

3) Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine, I undertake the training to respect and protect relationships.

4) Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine, I undertake the training to speak truthfully and kindly.

5) Knowing how deeply our lives intertwine, I undertake the training to maintain a clear and compassionate mind, through avoiding intoxicants.

Many years ago, I had practiced in the Zen tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, and he offers an expanded version of the precepts, the Five Mindfulness Trainings which is on their website: