YAMAS: Asteya yama or the principle of non-stealing

"Those who are deeply rooted in non-stealing have access to all jewels"

(Yoga Sutras, Aphorisme II-37)

Today we are talking about the 3d value of the path of Yoga according to Patanjali.

Patanjali focuses on 5 ethical guidelines to follow (the yamas) in order to cultivate the best of ourselves on the mat and in our daily life. These are not dogma but really values that you have to adapt to yourself to fit in..

As we saw before, the first to values are ahimsa (ahimsa ou le principe de non-violence) and satya (satya ou le principe d'honnêteté).

The third one is asteya or non-stealing.

Of course, this is not only stealing things. This has a greater understanding.

To have only what you really need

Why this value?

As human being, we tend to naturally feel unsatisfied. We think that we lack of something, that we are not good enough. This feeling makes us want what others have even if it is not what we really need for ourselves.

This feeling of lack can prevent you of being happy, of enjoying the here and now, what you have and who you are.

Asteya aims to allow you to see and want only what is necessary for you and, according to your real capacities, to fully appreciate what you already have and who you are. 

Asteya on your mat

Yoga is here to help you find balance, joy and peace of mind.

If you are always running after what you think you have to possess or to be, you are running on the opposite side of the goal of yoga.

When you go on your mat use asteya to recognize you own value and to make the most of the present moment.

I think that one of the best ways to achieve this is to take your time and to enjoy the postures that you master without craving for a more advanced variation just because your neighbour is doing one. You will then feel the most important part of yoga: the well-being and the joy. It will open the doors to a deeper practice and a better understanding of yourself.

Asteya in your daily life

In your daily life try not running after what you think you don't have: wealth, happiness, time, specific qualities... and don't waste the resources, the time, the limits, the security, the energy etc of the people and the world around you.

If you follow asteya, you will see and enjoy more easily the little treasures that life offers you. You will have a more peaceful mind and so be more happy!