Asteya, or “not stealing,” is the third Yama of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. On the surface, the meaning is pretty obvious. It is the same as the Eighth Commandment, “Thou shalt not steal.” We all grew up knowing that it was wrong to take something that didn’t belong to you. And, I’m sure some of you had friends who got caught stealing. I know I did. I still can remember the consequences when they got caught and how their parents were so upset.  At that time, I was a teenager and acted like it was cool but deep inside I knew how wrong my friends were for stealing something that didn’t belong to them.

If one were to look deeper at why people choose to steal, it’s possible that the act of stealing comes from the belief that we don’t have enough or can’t create what we need in our lives. We feel that there isn’t enough abundance in the Universe to go around and that somehow we are going to be left out. Swami Sivananda says that “desire or want is the root cause of stealing and that if you are established in non stealing, all things will come to you.”

The problem with our desires is that they really never end. Today I can buy a pair of jeans that are so terrific and look so great that I know I will wear them for years. But then, in a few weeks I see another pair that is on sale. Immediately the mind forgets about the pair I just bought or at least rationalizes that these are cheaper and having two pair is much better than one. And, since I won’t have to wash so often which will save water, buying these other jeans is an environmental act and I’m morally responsible to do it!!!!  Whew!!!!  And so, on and on the mind chases one desire after another.

Viewing Asteya in this way asks us to know the difference between our desires and needs. The question arises as to what do we really need? Answering this question honestly can be a bit daunting but all saints and spiritual leaders ask us to consider it. Jesus taught that God has and will give us exactly what we need at every moment to grow. There is no lack of abundance. He said, “I have come that you may have life and have it in abundance.” (John 10:10).  We all know that when we come into this world, we come in with nothing. And when we leave this world, we leave with nothing. But it is so easy between the coming and going to associate our “I-ness” with the new pair of jeans, owning a house or land, having a nice car and a job with a stable retirement. We associate “I” with “mine” and then find ourselves back to the beginning belief that we don’t have enough.

However, when we open our hearts just a little, we see the truth that we are the receivers of what God or the Universe offers us.  In reality, we own nothing.  Then we can begin to enjoy what we have and let go of it when it leaves. We don’t need to block the rhythm of nature but can allow it to flow. Nischala Joy Devi says, “When we don the attitude of caretakers instead of owners, we enjoy things when they come and let them go with ease. It is nature’s rhythm: all things come and all things go.”

Going a little deeper into the concept of Asteya, the teachings tell us that when we give up desiring things, all kinds of wonderfulness will come to us by themselves. And since we now have more time, we can then allow generosity and honesty to grow in our lives. We no longer have more than we need so there is space to give to others from an uncluttered heart. We can share our time, give a percentage of our earnings to a favorite charity or organization, listen to a friend in need, help an abandoned animal or volunteer at a shelter. There is so much that is needed and so much that one can do to be of service. Generosity can then enter into our lives. It is said that Sri Swami Sivananda was so generous that his students used to give him the nickname of Swami Give-ananda or the bliss of giving!

The great author, Henry David Thoreau summed up Asteya when he wrote, “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumbnail. In the midst of this chopping sea of civilized life, such are the clouds and storms and quick-sands and thousand-and-one items to be allowed for, that a man has to live, if he would not flounder and go to the bottom and not make his port at all, by dead reckoning, and he must be a great calculator indeed who succeeds. Simplify, simplify. Instead of three meals a day, if it be necessary eat but one; instead of a hundred dishes, five; and reduce other things in proportion." (Henry D. Thoreau, Walden, Where I Lived, and What I Lived For, p. 56)

You can bring Asteya into your yoga practice by being true to your own self; not comparing your poses to others around you. When you try to create a pose that someone else is doing, even your instructor, you are taking that pose from them. All of us are individuals and so our poses will reflect our own individuality. As an instructor, when I look out at my students, I see each pose being a representation of their uniqueness. It’s not a matter of someone being better than someone else. When each student is true to his or her self, the pose becomes a thing of beauty no matter at what level they are practicing.  

Asteya can also be holding back in a posture or not working to our full capacity.  We have the fear that there isn’t going to be enough energy to do the next pose!!! So, we hold back too much and loose the aliveness of the pose we are in. Each pose gives the energy required to do it and it is only when we persist in feeling a lack of abundance that we hold back and don’t put our whole selves into every pose. However, we must also be careful not to steal from our own selves. We must listen to our inner voice which tells us when to come out of a pose and when to hold it. It is that fine line which the yogi constantly walks between sukha (ease) and sthira (steadfastness). Over time we learn to sit comfortably in the middle with equipoise and balance!

As a lifelong advocate of both physical fitness and spiritual growth, Francesca finds the practice of yoga a natural. She began studying yoga seriously 6 years ago when first introduced to the philosophy and alignment principals of Anusara Yoga. She is now a registered SOYA yoga instructor with a RYT 500 designation with the Yoga Alliance and is a faculty member of the South Okanagan Yoga Academy in B.C. Canada. She says, “Taking the seat of the yoga teacher is a gift and a responsibility given to me by my teachers. I take this position seriously since I now function as both student and teacher. My desire is to share my love of yoga and the philosophy that enlivens it with all my students.” She encourages people of all ages, shapes, and sizes to come to class and enjoy the many benefits of a yoga practice. You can email Francesca at francesca.shree@me.com or visit her website for more information at www.shreeyoga4u.com