Saucha-santosha-tapas-svadhyaya-ishvara pranidhana-niyamah 2.32
The code of inner practice for the yogi is cleanliness, contentment, self-discipline, self-study and reflection and pure surrender to your creative source.

Yoga is the martial art of the mind and the strongest opponent you'll ever face is your ego. I read that somewhere and surely, it's true. With the niyamas, Patanjali's second limb of the eight-folded path of yoga, the sage offers us guidelines to gracefully navigate everyday interactions.

Saucha - purity, cleanliness - refers to various purifying yogic practices such as using a neti pot to rinse sinuses, scraping the tongue to clean the mouth, dry brushing to stimulate cell renewal and flow of lymph. It also includes uncluttering our home, the space around our mat and ultimately, our mind.

Santosha - contentment - is not to be confused with complacency. We can practice contentment by honoring in gratitude what we have. It anchors us in a quiet place without the stress of striving to achieve something...including a particular pose. Instead, let the pose (or life) come to you. After my hip surgery, I made peace with possibly never squatting again. I continued my regular modified practice in contentment of what showed up on the mat. One day, I found myself dropping into a squat. There it was. I had not even pushed for it.

Tapas - self-discipline - is the to be seen in balance with contentment. Tapas describe the effort it takes to get something done and it has to be considered in balance with Santosha. In a differentpart of the Sutras, Patanjali says "Effort without strain, ease without dullness." If we can live life there, it should be a pretty smooth ride.

Svadhyaya - self-study - through self-observation we create a space from where we can decide how to create, instead of living in a reactive state. In fact, creating and reacting use the same letters. You choose the order in which you put them by recognizing your natural tendencies through observation.

Ishvara Pranidhana - surrender to the universal life force - no matter how we name the energy that's bigger than us, if we recognize it we can use it. Instead of trying to push the river, we can surrender to its currents. Surrender to what is, let go of what was, ad have faith in what will be. Surrender is to give oneself up to the original cause of one's being. What is that if it's not to share the Love and the Joy that we are embodying?!

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time,
accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
taking this world as it is - not as I would have it - 
trusting that all will turn out alright,
I surrender.
(Reinhold Niebuhr)

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ahimsa-satya-asteya-brahmacarya-aparigraha-yamah 2.30
A yogi's code of conduct includes non-violence, truthfulness, non-coveting, moderation, and non-greediness

The Yamas are a reflection of our true nature. They are universal truths that apply to thoughts, words and deeds. The first of eight limbs of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga, they offer a guideline toward reflection of our own ethical standards and toward living a life of balance and harmony.

Ahimsa - non-harming - is often the principle leading yogis to consider a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle in consideration of all living things. In terms of our yoga practice on the mat, it applies to our attitude towards ourselves and our poses. Therefore, I always encourage my students to look for the point of interest in a pose, not the point of pain. Because I had total hip replacement four years ago, I really learned the art of modification and gentleness.
Satya - truthfulness - means being honest about my own feelings. As a German, speaking my truth has been inherited. But I had to learn to do it in a non-harming way. Can we speak the truth without being abrasive? How about so-called white lies? 
Asteya - non-stealing - frees us from desire to to own something that's not ours, that we haven't earned or paid for. Our kids went to a Montessori school; as parents we were asked to not steal their opportunity to learn by tying the shoelaces for them. Sure, I could do it faster, but they would never learn to do it themselves. I feel the same way about giving assists in my yoga class. I am not going to put a student in a pose that they couldn't do themselves.
Bramacharya - moderation - was originally thought to apply to celibacy. The more modern interpretation includes the right use of energy and that includes intimate relationships. But it may also translate into our relationship with food and daily activities. 
Aparigraha -  non-coveting - not wanting what is not yours, not comparing to what happens on the mat next to yours. Instead, living with a generosity of spirit. Practicing letting go of grudges, attitudes, memories, all the stuff that no longer serves us.
Think about your own code of conduct.

The thought manifests as the word,
the word manifests as the deed,
the deed develops into habit,
and habit hardens into character.
so watch the thought and its ways with love,
and let it spring from love born out of concern for all beings.
As the shadow follows the body,
as we think so we become.
BUDDHA