We learn through Asteya that everything we need is already within us ….
As we continue on our journey through the 8 Limbs of Yoga we remind ourselves that the first limb is the Yamas which supports harmonious relationships with ourselves and others ….
Simply put, Asteya, the third yama, is non-stealing and also the concept of being content with what comes to us by honest means …. not dwelling on things other people have and we don’t have as this leads to feelings of discontent and unhappiness. Desire for things to be other than how they are is the root of all suffering.
Hoarding and having too much of something or more than we need is also an aspect of Asteya … the idea of keeping more than is necessary and not giving it away or sharing. Eating too much….and constant desire for more leads to unsettled feelings. Of course having what is reasonable for oneself and ones family is fine but it is worth contemplating just how much one does need and what one is keeping purely out of attachment.
Through yoga we learn that when we no longer desire something it will come to us by itself …. when we give up desire all sorts of things come our way … not always what we originally desired but with hindsight perhaps they are things that are more “right” for us at that given time.
When it comes to our yoga practice it can be interesting to observe other aspects of Asteya in our lives ….
1. Our relationship with time – how often do we leave too little time to get to our yoga class? Rushing through traffic, perhaps cursing the cars that get in our way? Perhaps hurrying and tardiness has become part of our life? In this day and age most of us are addicted to doing more… more is better ….The lesson of Asteya is that there is already enough.
The same can go for our yoga practice itself …. As teachers we often try to fit in more postures, more difficult poses, however as some of you will have noticed and remarked, in the recent Back Workshop we kept the asanas very simple and it seemed that more was achieved … less is more in so many circumstances. By doing less, we can take the time to observe more and learn more.
2. Not concealing our true self
Beauty lies in imperfection and impermanence according to “wabi-sabi” in Japanese philosophy. As we know, in yoga there is no such thing as a “perfect pose” but many of us give ourselves such pressure to achieve (not only on the mat, but in life) high standards of appearance, status and perfection – none of which are natural or attainable. This all goes at the expense of appreciating what it is that makes us unique and perfect in our unique way.
When we conceal our true selves and try to be something we are not in order to keep others happy we are not only draining ourselves of energy but we are stealing from ourselves and denying the reality and beauty of who we really are. This robs us of our vulnerability and humanness and others of knowing us as we truly are.
Asteya reminds us to meet others with openness and respect as it helps foster meaningful and honest relationships with ourselves and others.
On the mat we can allow our body to fit the pose rather than trying to adapt our body with discomfort. We all have unique bodies and therefore each of us will feel and look different in each pose. Try not to detract from the true benefit of the pose by trying to be something we are not.
3. Being present ….otherwise we will miss most of our life
When we are not truly where we are we are stealing from experiencing that moment of our life and if we do this a lot we will miss out on life as it truly is.
Whilst it is natural for our mind to wander, if we let it run away all the time we will not see things clearly and the longer it goes on the more difficult it becomes to slow down and see the reality. Watching and observing the nature of the mind, its fluctuations and thoughts or feelings, training ourselves to be aware can be very profound and important to our daily lives. Asteya reminds us that we will never have a day back, but we always have the present moment at hand ….
On the mat every time our mind wanders and detracts from the present, lets gently coax it back to how our body feels, to our breath and our observances … being gentle and consistent. Enjoying this soft feeling of coaxing back ….enjoying the present moment just as it is.
By practising Asteya both on and off the mat we will find that we have a more deep and meaningful relationship with ourselves and others … something that no-one, not even ourselves, can take away!