Yoga teaches us that there are guidelines we can follow to find peace out in the big world, called Yamas, and inner peace within, called Niyamas. These important lessons are repeated in our lives until we learn to use them.
This week we are reflecting on Asteya, one of the Yamas or guidelines for world peace. It literally translates as non-stealing and is interpreted many different ways...
Of course, we know stealing other people’s possessions is wrong. And like… illegal. This guideline takes it a bit deeper though and refers to stealing one’s energy, either from ourselves or from someone else.
Have you ever seen that person who busts into a tranquil room with all of their drama and completely derails the vibe? They have essentially stolen perhaps the only peaceful moment another may have that day.
What about the person who denies themselves life's amazing experiences? They are robbing themselves of the time of their lives!
Or the friend who needs to tell you every trivial detail about their life even as you are working towards something that's important to you? One time I had a student continue to tell me their life story after I had started a yoga class!! It’s amazing how effectively a series of Plank Poses can quiet the mind lol.
I fell into an energy trap once and spent many years helping to grow a yoga business and community for someone who was just using me. As soon as I was unable to provide, she spread rumors about me, and kicked me out of the group. I was devastated, but understood the lesson and took the opportunity to escape.
Those people are not practicing Asteya. They are taking precious energy away from others who need it. My Mom used to call them energy vampires! Taking energy from others leads to a lack of energy creation in their own lives. Have you ever noticed the same kind of people seem to be exhausted a lot?
Which leads us to the general root causes of stealing, which can be greed or excessive want. Many times though, it’s a lack of self confidence in knowing that you are perfectly capable of creating what you need. This leads people to seek validation and take energy elsewhere.
Keep in mind too that your energy can be stolen by other things as well, like unhealthy habits you may have adopted, or a media frenzy that keeps you glued to a screen.
Practicing Asteya by being mindful of where you give and receive energy can help you create abundance and balance in your life.
And like…avoid jail time lol.
Here's a Meditation you can join me for to help balance your energy to build power and peace.
Abundance Meditation
Create a healthy circle of giving and receiving with this simple meditation.
Are you mindful of how YOU use YOUR energy ? Energy is everything. Make sure you give as much as you receive to maintain balance. And watch out for those energy vampires! They bite!