May 2022 week 3

As we continue our work on the Yama’s I think it’s important to point out that all the Yamas are an exercise in faith an as we work with them we move into faith filled actions. On a physical level, this months Yama - Asteya, non stealing - is about believing the universe or God (whatever you believe in) will take care of our needs and then we act accordingly. On a deeper level, we then become willing to take the next step and examine our habitual thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs - this is the real growth.

Now follow along and read this quote from Rolf Gates:
“Until we begin to acknowledge the poverty consciousness that drives us to steal - to commit those tiny, seemingly insignificant thefts (a hotel towel, a bottle of hot sauce from Chipotle - yes my kids did that lol, etc) without a second thought - we cannot significantly change our behavior. Asteya is our opportunity to let go of poverty consciousness. We no longer need to believe if you win, I lose. We no longer have to defend our opinions, or anything else for that matter. We can begin to live in harmony with the flow of life.”

When we are living with Asteya in action in our lives, we are no longer comfortable with the rationalizations and compromises we may have been making. If we look honestly at the ways we have been stealing, we come to understand there is an attachment to a specific result that overrides our deeper values. Usually there is fear - fear that we will not get what we need. Fear that if we leave things up to God we won’t be taken care of. This leads us to our intention: My Fear Reveals to me what needs to be healed”. This Yama proclaims, the surest way to get what you want is to let go of the wanting. What it requires is an absolute trust in the workings of the universe, of God. This trust is the opposite of fear. This trust is the spiritual opposite of the act of stealing, and accompanied by right action, it removes the blocks to our natural abundance. Are we willing to give up all we have for the pearl that is our spiritual growth? God either is or he is not. We must abandon ourselves to the care of our higher source. We must say in each moment, with each thought, word and action - MY GOD IS! Now this would be perfection of Asteya, so not to get discouraged, we try our best and use this knowledge to look and act in our lives differently.

Ask yourself:
What fears do you have that you would like to identify and heal?
Do you steal in small ways?
Do you steal from others through time (are you late) attention (one sided conversations)
Do you suffer from “one upmanship”, not being able to celebrate others’ successes? Stealing their lime light?
Or do you come from a scarcity and lack mentality - if you succeed I fail in some way since there is not enough success to go around.

I had a life coach once said to me, “Karen put down the measuring stick - you won!” This is an exhausting way to live - comparing, feeling jealous, feeling scarcity or lack, it’s never enough.

Ok now a note about comparing and this Yama before I close. Deborah Adele says “An outward focus leads us to compare ourselves to others and to send our energy into their lives in unhealthy ways. When we compare ourselves to others, we either find ourselves lacking, which makes us somehow feel cheated, or we find ourselves superior, which leaves us feeling somewhat arrogant. Our attention on others from a place of discontent within ourselves can lead us to live vicariously through others or try to control, manipulate or manage them in order to boost our own sagging ego.”

How does that land for you?Maybe write a few sentences on this aspect of Asteya.

I will leave you with this: Yogi bhajan said - “Be a forklift, you should always be lifting people up!”

Lets ask ourselves:
Does a person feel uplifted and lighter because they have been with you, or do they feel like something precious was taken from them?
Have we taken a moment to compliment, smile, brighten someones day in someway?