Asteya – Non-Stealing and Generosity

What are you stealing?

If that seems a little harsh, bear with me. The third Yama, Asteya, reminds us to take only what is freely given and to be generous in our giving. Both with yourself and others. While I don’t expect that any of you are thieves, we all may take in other ways both on and off the mat.

The sun never says to the earth, ‘you owe me’. Look what happens with a love like that. It lights up the whole sky.

~Hafiz

Is generosity something you consider when stepping on your mat? Or perhaps, do you fall into the trap of stealing from one part of your self to “get” a pose? For instance, collapsing on one side to stretch the other or breathing less to focus on deepening into a posture. Have you ever hardened your jaw, face or another body part while focusing on another?

Closet Clepto?

Of course, I’m kidding, but it got your attention. The irony is not lost :) Sometimes we steal time from another by not arriving when we said we would. At other times we steal attention away from someone who was speaking to give our opinion. Negate the feelings of another and you’ve stolen a few things. Have you ever brushed off a compliment or changed the subject? Could that be stealing the chance of receiving something kind from yourself and stealing the opportunity for that person to give to you? I used to be really good at that one. There are many ways we may be stealing. I leave this with you to ponder. What have you been stealing without realizing?

Practice Generosity

On your mat, give yourself room to breathe. Literally and figuratively. Listen to each part of your body while practicing. In the world, be mindful of your actions. Give your attention, time and love to yourself and others. As with all the Yamas, we are meant to contemplate and consider how we can practice each on our own. Look at where you can steal less and give more. Would love for you to share what you come up with… challenge@kushalayoga.com

Namaste,
Alissa

As I’ve sat with this a bit more today, I’ve come to see that being generous with myself can also be leaving room to make mistakes, to be “wrong” and to not know all the answers. To not steal from myself an opportunity to experience myself in a new way. Whether or not I “think I should” do things a certain way. Let me know where you can be more generous with yourself.