Asteya

“When one is established in refrainment from stealing, all jewels manifest”[1]

Asteya, or non-stealing, the third Yama of the Eight Limbs, has often been explained by my yoga teachers in terms of time; for example, we can refrain from stealing the time of our students by starting and finishing our classes on time.

Asteya-conscious time management can also be expanded to other aspects of our lives. In juggling many responsibilities, we can refrain from stealing the time allotted to those other duties by keeping our yoga practices at a reasonable length.

Equally, we must value and protect our own time. We can protect our present moment from rumination or worry.  Mindfulness as a practice of non-stealing can be relinquishing ruminating about the past or worrying about the future.

The incentives, or the jewels, to cultivating of a practice of non-stealing are numerous. Being respectful of others’ time means that you will get trusted with their time. Not stealing from the other responsibilities in your life reduces that feeling of being pulled in multiple directions at once, enabling you to be present to attend to the tasks at hand. Not stealing from your own time with rumination and worry is freeing.

To reduce being pulled in all directions at once, try a 5-minute or 3-minute practice from these collections: Quick Treats or 3-Minute Chill.

When you need to bring yourself back to the present, try this practice: Presence Restorative.

How do you practice Asteya on and off the mat?

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[1] Patañjali II.37, translated in Bryant, 2015, 263.

Bryant, E. F. (2015). The yoga sutras of Patanjali: A new edition, translation, and commentary. North Point Press.