Friday, April 20, 2007

Asteya: Non-Stealing

“We fail when we steal from ourselves – by neglecting a talent,
or by letting a lack of commitment keep us from practicing yoga.” - Judith Lasater

How about this quote for a thought? In my Advanced Study group we spent the past two months considering the yama, Asteya, or non-stealing. The yamas are part of Ashtanga, or the eight-fold path to a yogic state. The yamas are the first rung and refer to the way we act with other people. (The other yamas are non-violence, truthfulness, moderation, and non-greed.)

Over the years of teaching the yamas, I find Asteya is the one people most easily gloss over, thinking only of the material, physical items. Most of us don’t steal objects directly from others. There is so much more to Asteya, as this wonderful quote from Judith states. Have you ever considered not doing your practice as stealing from yourself? Take a moment to think about what you are stealing. What are you missing? What are you not sharing with the world because you are not doing your practice?

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