Abundance
Asteya
This week we move to the third of the Yamas, Asteya.
Fun fact, years ago I worked with a world-renowned yoga brand that focused on Asteya as part of their asset protection policy. They truly lived their values! Asteya can be translated to non-stealing or taking responsibility.
Literally applied Asteya means refraining from taking what's not ours. Theft, in any form, directly contradicts a life lived with integrity. That may mean not taking an extra helping of sweets without weighing them at the checkout, just like it means mean not taking another's idea and passing it off as our own.
Are you familiar with your comfort zone? *Smiley face*. Course you are, we all are. It's where we feel at home, where we feel untouchable. Nothing changes here, everything is as it is and that makes it fine. But, it doesn't make it a challenge. It doesn't make us grow. It doesn't teach us lessons. It doesn't change our mindset and invoke evolution. Are you stealing from your potential by staying comfortable?
Asteya asks that we take only what we need. Remember back to the last time you were in KMart or Pennys. You went in for one pair of pyjamas and you left with a new bedside locker, 3 pairs of underwear, high heels, 2 new outfits, a duvet set and 17 packets of stick-on-nails. Sound familiar!? YES! So, when we apply Asteya which asks us to take what we need - do we need all this stuff we've just bought? Furthermore (and here's the pinch) - does the planet need it? What will happen to the plastic when we're done with it? Where will the undies go when they fall apart in 4 weeks? How long does material stay in the landfill (between 20-200 years!)? How long do you have to work, taking time away from your free time, to pay for these items you don't need?
When we buy into the Keeping Up With The Joneses' it's all too easy to get swept up in the ''more, more, more'' mentality but at what cost? The more we fuel this overconsumption and this desire for extrinsic happiness the more we ignore the deep gaping hole that's inside of us - the one that is asking for connection, the one we fill with a bigger house or a new car. Instead of being afraid of not fitting in, what if we found contentment in standing out?
When I did my Vipassana retreat we were given food twice a day, once at 6:30 am and again at 11 am. On day 1 we had a lecture where we were told of the timetable ahead. We were asked not to fill our plates sky-high at either of these dinings for two reasons. 1 - It will make the meditation following very uncomfortable as our bodies work to digest the feast we've consumed. 2- By taking too much you are taking food from the mouth of others.
That second one got me good.
There was enough food to feed the 50 women and we ate well. But if 5 people helped themselves to 3 or 4 more scoops that meant some women would not get their serving of food. That has never left me.
Of course, a walk around a supermarket shows us there is plenty of food to go around, but the premise remains. Lao Tzu has a beautiful quote that sums up Asteya “Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” You see, you already have all you need. You have it all.
Since 2017 I've been trying my best to practice minimalism. Before I left for South America I sold and donated all of my possessions except for 2 boxes. When I moved back to Ireland in 2019 that had grown to 5 boxes (for shame!). I LOVE the idea of having a few key items in my life and nothing more than I need.
As I try and create a life for myself in Ireland I have slipped back on my minimalist journey. I need furniture which I don't have. I don't want to buy everything new, I believe it contributes to the issue, but charity shops and second-hand shopping is not a thing mid-pandemic.
This part of the puzzle of life right now is one that brings me hours spent in reflection. At times I wake up and want to buy a new rug, and photo frames and a new dining table. This room needs a new dresser and some curtains. This room needs a plant shelf.
W O A H L E O N I E - really?!
Let's sit with this, shall we? What's going on here, chuck?
Ah. Yes. Okay. Now I see. Now I see I don't need all these things to ''pull this room together'' (whatever the f that means?!). I see whats happened here. I spent 3 hours yesterday on Pinterest and compared my life to those of styled photoshoots. I compared my reality with the ''happiness'' found in these pictures and stole their idea of ''contentment''. Ah, yes. Right. Classic deflection, Leonie. ''I am not enough'' quickly grew legs, stuck on those fake nails and found it's way to ''I will be happy when ....''
Another massive Asteya check-in for me is the battle with staying present. How often do we go to a class and compare what our bodies are doing to those beside us? How often are we neglecting our own experience in a bid to compete, without even realising it? I have shown up to classes so many times when I should have rested and instead of giving my body a break, I have forced it to work hard.
Years ago a dear friend and I had a big discussion as we were in Peru. We both found it hard to stay present, even though we were in the middle of an epic trip that was changing our lives. Instead, we found ourselves worried about the future and with deep concerns about life after the trip. We discovered through sharing our experiences that we were both experience burn-out from months and months on the road. By forcing ourselves to keep going instead of resting we were robbing ourselves of the joy of the journey.
When I identify myself slipping in Asteya I start by figuring out why. What is the fear-based response within that tells me I am not enough as I am, that I do not have enough, that my life is not abundant? When I've worked that out I identify where it came from and what the trigger was. I then use a mantra. Mantras are very personal and sometimes they need months and years of affirmation to stick. Examples of mantras may be ''I am enough just as I am'', ''I am worthy'', ''I exist as I am and that's enough''.
Do you see Asteya coming up in your life? If so, share your thoughts below. I'd love to hear from you.
Sending love,
Leonie x