Yamas and Niyamas Cards for Kids

Thousands of years ago, an Indian sage named Patanjali wrote a philosophical text called The Yoga Sutras. Two of the eight limbs were the Yamas and Niyamas, which provide us with a guide for us to make good choices in life. This moral code of conduct includes values and behaviors like happiness, honesty, and gratitude to help us be responsible people both to ourselves and others around us.

The following cards can help integrate these yoga principles into character-education or social-emotional-learning (SEL) lessons.

For each Yama and Niyama you are provided:

• a question (thoughts)
• mantra (words)
• yoga pose (actions)

For children, a deeper understanding of themselves and clarity of what values and behaviors are important can be part of building a healthy life.

The deck is divided into Outward Behavior (Yamas) and Inward Behavior (Niyamas):

Outward Behavior How we behave toward others

• AHIMSA Meaning: Nonviolence
• SATYA Meaning: Truthfulness
• ASTEYA Meaning: Non-Stealing
• BRAHMACHARYA Meaning: Ethical Behavior
• APARIGRAHA Meaning: Greedlessness

Inward Behavior How we care for ourselves

• SAUCHA Meaning: Purity/Cleanliness
• SANTOSHA Meaning: Contentment
• TAPAS Meaning: Self-Discipline
• SVADHYAYA Meaning: Self-Study
• ISHVARA PRANIDHANA Meaning: Surrender/Devotion

Instantly download these 49 colorful Yamas and Niyamas digital yoga cards to learn through movement in your home, classroom, or studio.

This deck includes an index card, yoga tips, pose instructions, 10 yoga pose cards, 10 mantra cards, 10 question cards, and 10 yoga pose description cards. The illustrations feature multicultural yoga kids from seven countries.

Printing Instructions