It was hot and humid, the air still and stagnant. Soft grey clouds hung overhead, threatening a rain shower before the day would be done. Timid and Skeets sat upon the big, black beast as the Cajun One led them through the swampy bottomland woods. Could they trust him?
They were searching for the elusive place. History told of the ancients sharing treasures found there. Timid and Skeets gripped the burly beast, holding on with all their might. Perils lay all around. What would they discover?
The beast moved swiftly, it was husky and strong yet agile. It barreled over dry, fallen branches; it knocked down sturdy, green saplings. It plowed through wet, soggy sloughs. Skeets pitched side to side, "Maybe we should turn back," she cried. The Cajun One continued on. "This is the way," he claimed. Timid clutched tightly to Skeets, ducking under a dangling vine that almost wacked her in the eye.
Suddenly the beast stopped, they were stuck in a briar patch. They couldn't go over it, they couldn't go under it, they couldn't go through it, they would have to go around it. They sat motionless. Not a sound could be heard in the swampy bottomland woods. Then came a buzzing, the dreaded maringouins! The venomous vermin began to swarm. Timid and Skeets batted at them as the Cajun One surveyed an alternate route.
The beast took off. Soon the path opened up into a wide meadow. The sun emerged, butterflies flitted from flower to flower and there before them was the elusive place. It was just as they had imagined.
This yoga storytelling adventure reminded us of the yama Asteya, which is usually translated as non-stealing. The yamas are ethical guidelines that we strive to practice as yogis. While this yama may seem straightforward, don't take things that don't belong to you, it has several meanings and depth. To steal expresses lack of faith in oneself, not trusting our own potential to create what we desire.
Trust can be tough! One of the keys to practicing Asteya is to trust that we already have everything we need. Though it doesn't always feel that way, we do have everything we need inside of us to do what we need to do; strength, flexibility, acceptance...whatever we might need in the moment. Asteya asks us to move through life with awareness, to look inside and trust. When we discover this elusive place inside of us and trust it, we suffer less.
Thanks Pam and David, we enjoyed the time!
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