As part of Denver’s Axis Yoga teacher training program, students experiment with different yogic principles by applying them to their lives. This student chose to experiment with satya: truthfulness, word and thought in conformity with the facts. She thought, “If I can live my daily life in a way that is synergistic with Satya, life will be much simpler and my moral self will no longer be compromised. I must remember that although I am practicing Satya, Ahimsa (non-violence) must also be exercised.”

First and foremost I did not commit to this experiment nearly as much as I should have or wanted to. For the first week I focused quite diligently, really focusing on how I was forming my sentences and being concise in the words that I spoke. As time passed I found my focus drifting into deepening my Sadahna and Asana practice, and thinking less and less about Satya. As I strayed further and further away from the task at hand I became increasingly frustrated with my lack of ability to follow this Yama. I found myself lying internally as the frustration sank in. I told myself that was too busy deepening other portions of the training that I deemed ‘more important.’ However, it seems more that I simply dif not want to see this ugly side of my personality and any excuse that I could make in order to not face it was fine, and I sure found them. Perhaps learning this was a success and not a failure overall.

As part of Axis yoga’s teacher training, students conduct experiments with one of many yogic principles. This student chose asteya (or non-stealing). She focused on non-accumulation and misappropriation of her time as areas of her life where she wanted to apply asteya. She developed a hypothesis and used the practice of meditation, pranayama and asanas to conduct her experiment.

In contemplating these definitions, as well as the catalyst behind these actions (jealousy and desire), I began to categorize them in terms of which ones don’t challenge me, which I’ve already worked on in the past and which are still a challenge.

It is the basic, material definitions of asteya that are not challenging. Stealing, misappropriation, using something for the wrong purpose or beyond it’s time limit. As someone who is fortunate enough to have my basic needs met, I have not lived a life where these actions have been tempting or even necessary for survival. I also do not have any psycho-emotional issues that would lead me to these material forms of stealing.

I have already addressed some of the more subtle forms of asteya in the past. When I first began teaching group exercise classes I was guilty of accepting undue praise and giving the impression that ideas were my own. This came from the desire for my students to have confidence in my abilities. I didn’t want them to know that I was a new teacher and to doubt that I had the knowledge to help them. In high school I started working on not gossiping. I consider this a form of asteya as it is a breach of trust. I find that it takes conscious effort not to gossip because there is such a strong desire to share information that you know other people would find interesting. This comes from my desire to be liked, to be seen as entertaining.

And finally, there are forms of asteya that I still struggle with eliminating. One is gathering things that I don’t really need. I think at times this comes from jealousy of what others have and at other times it is just a desire for ownership. There is security and comfort in owning things. Also, I find that I’m guilty of misappropriation of non-material things, namely my time and attention. I thrive on multi-tasking but have become aware that when I try and divide my time in so many directions, nobody gets the benefit of my full attention. I see this as a form of asteya in regards to my family who deserves my full attention and especially in regards to my personal training clients who are actually paying for my full attention. My family is supportive but I can tell at times that my unavailability annoys them. My clients’ feedback tells me that they are satisfied, but I know personally that there are times where I could be giving them more.