My dear Yogis and Yoginis,

This week is about Asteya – non-stealing, non-possessiveness

“Do not steal possessions, emotions or time from others.
People steal when they feel incomplete. Find joy in what you have and feel the completeness of the Big Self.”

~ Alan Finger 
(How to expand the little self to merge into the big self)

INTERPRETATIONS OF ASTEYA AND HOW IT’S APPLIED

“Sure, you’d probably agree that most human beings aren’t thieves. And while the surface level example of asteya (not stealing material possessions from other people or places) is usually easy enough to
follow, there are other forms of stealing that can be a bit more
challenging to always uphold. 

You may even be unknowingly stealing in your daily life:
taking credit for someone else’s work, hoarding more than you need, unintentionally taking things from work (pen, notepad).
(Hey, if you didn’t know, you didn’t know — no judgment.
We can all learn and improve.) 

There are many layers to asteya and understanding how to actively practice can be beneficial to both your yoga practice and
your daily life. 

When combining non-stealing with yoga, remember to give yourself enough time (before, during and after) to wholeheartedly dedicate to your practice. For example, if you attend a group yoga class, being late (and all of the disruption that comes with it) is stealing time and peace from yourself, your yoga teacher, and your fellow yogis.

While on the yoga mat, moving from one asana (pose) to another, it’s common to become distracted by others in the class: one person is
incredibly flexible; someone else is flowing through each pose with her eyes closed. It’s impressive and sometimes intimidating. 

This awareness may produce thoughts of envy and insecurities about your own abilities. That insecurity may push you to do more than what your body can handle because you desire to look a certain way
in a pose.

Pushing yourself beyond your edge for the purpose of perfection is not serving your needs and can result in unnecessary pain and suffering due to injury. Concerning yourself with what others are doing only distracts you from being in the present moment and feeling the
beautiful complexities within your own body — it’s stealing your own peace of mind and enjoyment of the practice.

The fact is, every human being is unique and most will look differently in poses. Show yourself some love and compassion by setting healthy boundaries of thought and allow yourself to move through asanas
(and life) at your own pace.”

~ Brett Larkin Yoga
(click the link if you would like to read more)

Monday 29.08.
Peace of Mind
Flow

Wednesday 31.08.
Playing the Edge
Flow

Thursday 01.09.
Open Theme
Yogis Choice

Friday 02.09.
Eyes Closed
Slow Flow

Still working on not stealing your time by not finishing class on time! 🙂

Love,

Nicole