Guest Post by Brenda McMahon
As we continue our exploration of the 10 Commandments & principles of Yoga, or the Yamas & Niyamas, we come upon the third Yama, Asteya which means non-stealing.
Where Satya is the outward action of truth, Asteya is the inner knowing of truth. At first glance, again, this seems easy and straightforward. One knows that stealing is not socially acceptable, but let’s explore the subtleties of this concept.
Stealing is to take something that does not belong to us or to use something given to us for a different purpose then it was intended. If, for instance, someone confides in us we do not take advantage of him or her, nor do we use that information against that person.
Taking without permission can also be about someone’s attention and this is often done unconsciously. Have you ever been around someone who talks only about themselves and demands your attention. That person is essentially ‘stealing’ your energy and your time, often you literally feel ‘drained’.
When you are balanced in your Asteya, non-stealing, it means you are content with what you have so you do not need to take it from another. Some people are always late, others are very needy still others always want to be right. All of this is a stealing – of time, of attention or of not being open to other perspectives.
I once knew a couple who was having relationship trouble. The husband betrayed the wife by cheating on her; in turn, she stole a significant amount of money from him. Both felt justified in their actions – their mental minds explained away those actions by what was going on in the relationship and they had no guilt. Both were in the wrong and violated Asteya and Satya. The husband was not being truthful about what was not working for him and the wife took what was not hers. The pain and anger they both felt lasted for many years.
When we see just what ‘stealing’ really is, we can work the idea over in our minds. Is it ok to take the magazine out of the Doctor’s office? Is it ok to call a friend and talk without asking how that friend is? Where do I steal from someone else without awareness? Where have I felt someone has stolen from me? How is Asteya out of alignment in your life and what would it feel like to have it in alignment?
These are all good questions to open up – without judgment. We have all been guilty of stealing in one way or another. The practice is not to judge those times, but to understand the root pain for such action.
Wanting what another has is rooted in desire. In yoga, we are taught that when we no longer desire something, it will come to us by itself. And so the beauty of Asteya is we begin to recognize the riches in our own lives and we see our own abundance.
To access the entire 12 Part Yoga Series, click here.
Brenda McMahon is a full-time Ceramic Artist traveling nationally & internationally showing her artwork and teaching clay workshops. She creates meditative porcelain vessels and Yoga Oms in her private studio. Brenda is a passionate student of metaphysics and has been a Yogi for 10 years.
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