“Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” -Lao Tzu
Weekly Focus: Asteya (non-stealing)
Asteya is the third Yama (personal practice) and translates as non-stealing.
At a deeper level, Asteya means to abandon even the intent to possess, desire or steal anything — be it material, emotional, mental, experiential, etc etc. The challenge this week is to go deeper than surface level. It is easy to consider Asteya on an obvious level — “I did not steal that cookie.” We can begin to look at the layers of Asteya.
Stealing can sometimes be untintentional, unnoticed, and even implicit.
So where are we stealing inadvertently and what does that look like? Most individuals would consider themselves a thief, but there are likely moments in our lives when we take what is not ours that seem very benign on the surface. Stealing someone’s time -arriving late, alowing meetings to extend, is an act of stealing. Emotional vampirism – that’s right, forcing your feelings and emotions on another person without allowing space for that individual to breathe. Cultural appropriation – the unacknowledged or inappropriately adapted adoption of another cultures practices is a form of stealing. Thoughtless commentary or language, when harmful to another individual, can be a form of stealing (consider the refusal of a person’s pronouns, it is a bit like stealing someone’s identity). Even gentrification of a neighborhood could be seen as an act of theft.
In what ways do we inadvertently steal what is not ours to take or to have? How do we challenge ourselves to more consciously consider each action and word that we emit, and how we might consider their unintended affects. All this is said with the acknowledgement that we are all humans and there are certain things outside of our control. Remember, it’s about the acknoweldgement. Maybe we can’t change it all, but what CAN we acknowledge and adjust? We are all doing our best, but we can always do better.
Here are a few ways to practice Asteya:
- Shop local, shop indigeous — do you admire the beautiful designs and art from another culture? Great! Purchase directly from the source rather than a mass-made imitation.
- Give back — volunteer for group neighborhood clean-ups or pick up trash on a daily walk. This act gives back to the Earth that we constantly take from.
- Be on time — set reminders to arrive to commitments 10 minutes ahead of time. If an an unexpected event has you arriving late, call, and let someone know. Respect the other party’s time.
Passive Pose of the Week: Bhujangasana (cobra)
Backbends help us open our hearts to build more empathy and understanding — cobra pose can help us recognize room for Asteya in our own lives.
- Begin lying on your belly. Place the hands behind the shoulders alongisde the ribs. The elbows will naturally bend.
- Let the feet separate with enough space between to be comfortable.
- Press through the big toes and feel the tailbone drop to the floor.
- As you inhale, press through your hands and lift the head, chest and shoulders from the floor, to any degree. Only lift as high as you feel comfortable. Move the shoulders back and away from the chest, experiencing broadness across the front of the body.
- Hold for about 3 breaths before slowly lowering back down. Release your hands and maybe rock the hips gently on the floor for a nice release.
There are many varieties of our cobra pose. Some folks will like to stay low to the earth in cobra, and some will enjoy a high lift getting even the belly off of the floor. Both variations are great, and both are still cobra pose. Consider trying different hand placements in cobra pose. See if moving the hands wider, forward, backward, etc changes anything in the backbend. Exploring our options allows us to seek the pose that is most comfortable in our own body. Afterall, why steal the experience from yourself? Adapting within our postures is another way to pracitce Asteya on the mat.
Active Pose of the Week: Pillar Pose
Stand strong and steady, acting as a pillar and a beacon to those around you. As we practice more Asteya in our daily lives, we become a light for those around us.
- Begin in a standing Mountain pose (tadasana).
- Imagine rooting down into your right leg, letting your weight shift slightly into the right side.
- Steady your gaze in front of you and focus on one space. We recommend a stable spot closer to the horizon. This is your drishti or focus point.
- Begin to lift you left knee up to about hip height, finding a 90 degree bend in the knee.
- Your hands may rest at the hips, hearts center, or reaching up overhead for an extra balance challenge.
- Hold for 3 – 5 breaths and switch sides.
This seemingly simple posture is an excellent starting point for most balances. Pillar provides the perfect space to practice the balance without many other elements to think about. If you often find balance challenging, spend more time in Pillar pose! This is a great pose to practice near a wall or chair, and to gain practice in focusing the gaze and feeling the strength in your center.
Join us in class this week to practice Asteya! See the full schedule HERE.
