“ The living are soft and yielding. The dead are rigid and stiff. Living plants are flexible and tender. The dead are brittle and dry.

Those who are stiff and rigid are the disciples of death. Those who are soft and yielding are the disciples of life. 

The rigid and stiff will be broken.  The soft and yielding will overcome” Lao Tzu (604-531BC)

I read this beautiful quote in the recent OM magazine and thought I would share it with you as I found it so appropriate as we enter into autumn and notice the dry and brittle leaves falling from the trees to pave the way for the new flexible fruits of spring.

Looking towards this coming Tuesday our focus is the next Yama on our journey through the 8 limbs of yoga ….Asteya – non stealing! This sutra simply means not taking anything from ourselves, life, or others that is not freely offered.  It can simply be not stealing material goods but also being late is stealing someone’s time; or can “steal” people’s energy and peace, happiness and ideas. In addition Asteya can mean that we  surrender what we have, to allow others to survive.  For example using fewer resources means there is more available for others. All of these things cover Asteya.

In our yoga practice on our mat we can observe Asteya … not stealing from ourselves by being late …not taking from our uniqueness by wishing we were like someone else (imagine everyone was a different piece of fruit..if you were a banana you would not wonder why you did not look like a grape) … don’t steal from your personal time on the mat by observing others and missing out on what is happening to you and your growth.

Buddha said, “Be where you are . . . otherwise you will miss most of your life.”

When you’re not where you are, you steal from yourself the experience of being alive in that moment.

It is, of course, completely natural for the mind to wander, for memories and plans and conversations to pass through your head. That’s what the brain does.

But the unwatched mind is like a runaway train—it’s very hard to slow down and see clearly.

Yoga helps us to stay present – allowing the mind to fluctuate and wander allows us to steal from the present moment and miss life as it really is.

On Tuesday at 5.50pm we will practice Asteya during our yoga flow and relaxation in shivasana … please let me know if you can or cannot come .. I look forward to sharing our special time togethe