The third Yama is Asteya, non-stealing. Of course! We all know not to steal, but what about the things we rob from ourselves? What am I stealing from my life with my thoughts? Am I stealing time I should be devoting to developing my potential? Am I taking attention away from those around me? Am I taking from my health?
By not caring for the energy we have, we are taking our inner light and dousing it. This keeps our unique gifts and contributions from others. An example of this unconscious theft involves unchecked mental conversations. These distractions, internal monologues, work against our greater good, stealing our attention to and experience of the present moment. In relationships, we might try to get from others what should come from within. If we take care of ourselves and are self-sufficient, we don’t take more than we need. And to be self-sufficient, we must cultivate abundance. Our unique talents, our love, our contribution to the world—holding these things back, taking from our inner resources and depleting ourselves, is a way of stealing our own gifts from their rightful place in the world.
