Asteya: The Practice of Non-Stealing

Asteya is the third + one of the yamas. The Yamas are one of the 8 limbs of yoga. Asteya translates to non-stealing + yes, it’s the practice of non-stealing things physically BUT like all the yamas + niyamas, you’ve guessed it – it’s SO much more than that. Let’s dive in.

Non-Stealing

When you read the word ‘non-stealing’, what comes to mind? Theft? Robbery? Stealing? Shoplifting? And yes, while those things are included, we can apply it to non-stealing in almost any sense. However, when living a yoga-inspired life, we can think of it as non-stealing of time + energy.

Time + energy are two of our most precious resources. They represent life itself. We are aware that our time in life is short. We understand the value of our time spent living. But do our actions align with our beliefs? Or do we allow our time + energy to be stolen from us, not only by others but also through procrastination + self-sabotage?

Living a yoga-inspired life is a practice of self-discovery, and with that comes some difficult truths, obstacles, and realisations that arise (the practice of satya). So, we always practice this self-discovery work with the first yama, ahimsa - practicing self-compassion, self-forgiveness + self-love.

Time + Energy

Our past is never a home to live in, but a place to learn from. So we can use the past to recognise where in our lives we’ve wasted/stolen/given away our time + energy.

When we go quiet, we’re able to listen to what is + isn’t in alignment with how we want to show up + LIVE life. When we live an aligned life, we’re practising Asteya – we’re not stealing our time + energy, + that of life.

We’re not always conscious of when we self-sabotage or procrastinate – we can all relate to those times we’ve said ‘I’ll wait until Monday’, ‘I’ll start again in the new year’, ‘it’s too late for me/I’m too old’ or ‘I’ve always been this way’. That puts us in a fixed mindset rather than a growth mindset. Life is constantly changing, let’s go with that flow + GROW with the changes. Welcome in the things that DO light you up or that you’d like to start. It’s never too late. We owe it to this beautiful gift of life that we’ve been given.

Asteya Daily

“Access to your time + energy is a privilege,” and so is everyone else’s. Yoga isn’t a selfish practice, and it actually helps us be of service to others. Practicing respect for other people’s time + energy is a way of doing this. Ways we can practice asteya with others are through acts such as:

– Being on time, not too early + not too late. We shouldn’t assume that people have/do not have plans before or after.
– Arriving calm instead of stressed + flustered – not a vibe! Life will always happen, and there will be reasons why we might be late that are out of our control, but sometimes we need to reflect on the times when it has been in our control.
– Being present in someone’s time + energy, not distracted or regularly checking our phones. Hearing, seeing, listening, valuing, and supporting people are beautiful ways to be of service.

These are just a few ways, but hopefully, they get you thinking about ways you can practice asteya with others. If you’d like to explore more, there is a whole video on this over on the Soul Care Club.

“You live as if you were destined to live forever, no thought of your frailty ever enters your head, of how much time has already gone by you take no heed. You squander time as if you drew from a full and abundant supply, though all the while that day which you bestow on some person or thing is perhaps your last.”
How does that quote make you feel? Triggered? Inspired? Maybe a bit of both. There’s no right or wrong. But what it does highlight is just how precious + short life is. Perhaps you’re reflecting on some bigger changes that you’d like to welcome in + maybe some old ways that you need to let go. But I encourage you to start small.

Small Daily Actions

The small actions of our daily lives are where true transformation happens. It comes from daily commitment, repetitive intentions + consistent actions. I’ve created a 2-hour asteya-inspired workshop that focuses on diving into ways we can get organized to thrive + make the most out of our lives, rather than wasting our time + energy. Getting organized means creating daily, weekly, and monthly habits + making a change to our identity – showing up as an organized person in all that we do. Habits are incredibly powerful, + through organisation, we can bring these daily habits to life. We can then protect + direct our time + energy in high vibrational ways, rather than ‘stealing’/’giving away’ our time + energy.

How can you live a life that respects your own, others’, + life’s energy + time?

Learn More

Learn more about asteya + how to live a yoga-inspired life over on the Inspired Club.