Another Yama Day - Asteya

Of course, none of us would ever consider directly stealing from another person or a retail store or anything like that! The third yama is asteya or "non-stealing." How do we apply this in our practice and when we teach? One thought that came to mind was avoiding stealing other's ideas as our own. This is interesting to me because I think knowledge is out there to share and learn - when I use a new cue or teach a new asana technique in class that I gleaned from another teacher I don't think of it as stealing as much as I know it is sharing. But, I certainly wouldn't steal an idea for a product or title of a book and call it my own. Asteya can challenge us to create our own individuality and sense of self while honoring all of the many teachers we have along the way.

Aadil Palhivala writes that the "stealing" refers to the "stealing that grows from believing we cannot create what we need." He shares that misperceiving there is not enough abundance for everyone is a form of stealing and that perception can lead to beliefs in scarcity that create greed, hoarding, etc. When a lack of abundance is perceived in our asana practice, it is possible that we fear we won't have enough energy when we transition to the next pose so we hold back a bit rather than shining in our best representation of the asana. I have been in tough classes and done exactly this; as a student. not knowing what comes next can be intimidating. Inviting your students to release that fear and place their whole selves into each pose knowing that each pose gives you the full energy you need to practice it.

Most importantly, I think not stealing from yourself by misusing your time or participating in things that don't serve you can be a lesson from this yama. I struggle all the time these days with not over committing my time in order to stay true to my goals and visions of the future. There was a time when I couldn't say no and what resulted was my energy and time being given to everything other than what I wanted it to be given to. You can read more about this personal journey of mine here if you'd like. Asking your students to be mindful of their personal goals and sense of self when making choices can be another way of teaching asteya.

Any thoughts on non-stealing? Ways to find it in your asana practice or when you teach?