Asteya: Finding What We Need Within.

Asteya - non-stealing

Asteya is the third of the five yamas, translated as non-stealing. The idea of stealing here refers to not only material things but also to time, energy & ideas. 

To refrain from stealing, we must look at the cause of it; psychologically, motivation to steal could be seen as coming from the idea of not being good enough, or of not having enough.

We may steal as we feel what we already have is not enough, or that we ourselves, are not good enough without the addition of this new object, trying to elevate our own self-worth through seeking external things. More subtly, we may fear being alone, feeling that our own company is not enough & may subsequently ‘steal’ other people's time & energy, time & energy they may not have chosen to offer us, so that we can avoid facing ourselves. 

Stealing means looking outside of ourselves for our own fulfillment, rather than in. By turning our attention inwards to the roots of our own feelings of inadequacy, or feelings of scarcity, we may start to heal these and instead begin to live from a space of abundance and contentment, realizing, we already have within us everything we need.