Asteya
In keeping with the themes of the yamas -the 5 ethical guidelines for yogis in relationship to others, to Nature and to self- we are now on the third week, and the third yama is "asteya."
Asteya means non-stealing.
That's it.
Sounds simple right?
But there's more to the yamas than meets the eye.
When we start to unpack asteya we begin to notice the way we can for instance, steal people's time, take credit for what someone else said, or even steal someone's experience...
This is totally trivial but one of the problems of watching a movie with me that I've already seen, is that there's a high probability I'll turn to you and say, "watch this part, this is so great, oh my God, this scene is amazing." And I end up ruining the moment for my friend!
Or I'm teaching a yoga pose which I love and I'll say, "doesn't this pose feel good?!" Not knowing how other's are experiencing the pose in that moment!
The way I've been unpacking asteya this week has been looking at it in the sense of stealing from the beauty of every moment.
I'm a planner. I plan, I plan everything, way to much. I plan my week, my day, my yoga classes from the first to the last pose. Although there's something inspiring about being responsible and thinking ahead, I've been noticing that when I'm so tied to my plan, I'm not with the class, thereby forcing them into poses instead of organically letting class unfold in its own way.
So practicing asteya can be experienced as having the courage to be open, having the courage to be wrong, having the courage
to change the focus of a class, or to do something completely unexpected!
How often are we in conversation with someone and we are thinking about what we want to say instead of listening, really listening to the other person? How often are we just waiting for our turn to speak without being there with the person?! How often do we rush through a pause because we are uncomfortable with the silence? I've been re-reading Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue, a non-fiction book about language. He says that studies have shown how whenever we're in conversation and there's a four-second pause, most people start to feel uncomfortable. Four seconds!
So this week, may we not plan so much. May we stay open, available. May we allow things to unfold as they do.
Theme: Asteya
Focus: Root to rise!
Be steady and grounded, allowing the pose to expand into whatever it will...
Highlights: Noticed I was telling people to either do a pose or a modified version of the pose.
Say, do Forearm Balance or do Dolphin prep.
Do partner Drop Backs or partner Standing back bend.
Or do Urdhva or do Bridge.
In giving them two clear options they were still part of class. They all felt good making one choice and they were all learning and staying open to new possibilities.
Challenge: Practicing asteya! Very challenging for me as planner to stay more in the moment, and not steal from the moment by thiking too far ahead! It takes so much faith!
Anusara Poster Project Pose: Sirsasana #1
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