The principles that you learn in Patanjali’s Sutras, are universal in nature. Asteya is found in the first limb of Patanjali’s Eight-limbed path, under Yamas. You can call Yamas ‘the rules of life.’ After you have studied Ahimsa and Satya, it is but apt, that any student studies Asteya. Whenever you hear the name ‘Asteya’, you think about not taking any object or money from another person, without permission. However, Asteya goes beyond what you think. Sometimes, you might plan to hoard good, that are unnecessary at present. If you use up more resources, than necessary, then also it amounts to Asteya.
Take, for example, you may allow the tap water to run, while you are brushing your teeth. This amounts to Asteya as well. You can learn about the same as a part of the 200-hour yoga teacher training class.
Fables Which Have Touched Upon Asteya-
One of the most popular fables or moral stories that revolve around Asteya is the story of the Goose that laid the golden egg. So the story goes like this. A farmer and his wife owned a Goose that laid a golden egg every day. Their life was moving as usual, with nothing exciting happening. However, the couple became greedy one day. They decided to kill the bird, to get all the eggs in one go. However, when the couple cut the goose, there were no eggs. So, the couple lost their goose, and the possibility of getting more eggs in the future.
They also tried to steal something from the bird that was not rightfully theirs. Most people who are taught from childhood to be honest, also have greed as a part of their psyche. You need a lot of awareness to be able to guard against dishonest nature. Moreover, meditation also helps. You can actually pinpoint the area, with proper meditation, and find out the exact location of greed within yourself.
Here are a few questions that can help you to practice Asteya.
Questions That You Should Ask Yourself-
The teachers explain all the aspects of Patanjali’s sutras, at the class in Rishikesh. Let us find out what questions, you should ask yourself.
- Do you waste other’s time?
- Do you try to dominate other’s freedom of speech?
- Do you hide your true identity from others, according to your situation?
- Do you keep others waiting for you?
- Do you take more food on your plate, than you can possibly eat?
- Do you always give credit to people, for a job well done?
- Do you help your child in completing their homework, as they take a lot of time, while trying to do it themselves?
You must be getting an inkling about the underlying message in these questions. Then these are the actual situations, in which you can practice Asteya, in your regular life. You can practice it with more awareness and intention. You have to go back to the foundation, at this point. You must understand, that practicing Asteya, means accepting things that are freely given to you.
On The Mat-
On the yoga mat, when you see others doing difficult poses, you feel jealous. So, you start pushing yourself further and also injure yourself in the process. This is where Asteya kicks in. You are stealing from yourself, in this situation. You are stealing self-acceptance.
So, from now on, you must ensure to stay in the present. Always act in the present, and stop worrying about the past and the future. Give others, their own sweet time, and stop interfering in their experience. This is how you can practice ‘Asteya.’ Head to Hari Om Yoga Vidya School, where you can learn about this in detail.
