Hello September,

Anyone who has watched children fight over an object, has seen how possessiveness disrupts. Adults often intervene by urging them to share in an attempt to end the disruption. When they share the object, they also share in the experience of conflict resolution and fun together. Asteya (non-stealing), the third Yama (social attitude) of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is such a mindset.

Stealing reflects a mindset that things, people, experiences belong to us, revealing a deeper sense of wanting. We take because we feel a need or desire, disregarding others’ needs and wants. When we take something without consent, it unsettles us as well as others. We wonder if they know, if we’ll be discovered or have to return it. While we act to quiet a sense of wanting, we create a disruption that perpetuates wanting.

How can yoga help? Yoga, meaning “to yoke” or “union,” brings parts together and is about the experience. The attitude of non-stealing guides us to share, rather than possess. It’s translated as a progressive verb (-ing), suggesting that it’s an on-going attitude, rather than a one-time act. In our postural practice of yoga, we aim to achieve a pose. We often push and pull ourselves into the shape and once attained, we experience a sense of satisfaction while we hold our breath to maintain it. The essence, however, lies in the experience.

Consider Ardha Chandrasana (Half-Moon Pose). This is a balance pose, standing on one leg to the side, supported by the same side arm, with the other leg raised away from the head and the arm extended up from the other arm. The pelvis is the half moon. It’s a challenging pose to begin with, but we make it even more so in our struggle to “attain it.” What if we focus on the experience of “getting it” and “being in it”? This shift parallels the concept of sharing: physical aspects of the pose share in the effort and the mind engages in that experience instead of the accomplishment.

Let’s embody this practice: The attitude of experiencing together includes and it’s accessible. Each time we feel it on the mat, we reinforce the attitude of generosity and non-stealing from ourselves to be able to conceive of and forge such relationships with the world and others.