The Third Yama for Optimal Health

The third Yama (external discipline) is Asteya, translated to truthfulness or non-stealing.

When we fail to honor our true authentic self, when we ignore our passions and our bodies, we steal from ourselves.  When we fail to care for ourselves, we steal opportunities for ourselves as well as being fully present and available to our loved ones. We steal from our self when we keep ourselves so busy that we cannot enjoy the present moment.

Here is a picture from my book and quote from the Dalai Lama:

I am a born Washingtonian, a place where we wear stress on our shoulders as a badge of honor. We identify ourselves with our accomplishments and our "to do lists".  We confuse how important we are with how busy we are.

In doing so, there is no time for integration of our experiences and we end up robbing ourselves of our own experiences. Do you ever wake up and forget where you are? Do you suffer from short-term memory loss? This busyness may be the culprit.

In my last business, we participated and spoke at 12 trade shows in 12 months and built the world’s first railroad, state and county bridges out of recycled plastics.

World's First RR Bridge from Recycled Plastic-Ft. Eustis, VA

I loved the sense of accomplishment; I loved meeting new people and bringing green solutions to the marketplace. I traveled around the country giving presentations to the military and to Department of Transportation offices. It was great fun, and it fed my ego. I was so busy that some mornings it was hard to remember what city I was in. What kept me going on this fast track?  You guessed it…YOGA! I would find a studio in each city that I visited and prioritize getting to a class either early morning or evening. If there wasn’t a class, I always packed a portable mat and would practice in my hotel room.

I admit, I get addicted to stress. I love to be busy, but when my anxiety increases, I know I’ve crossed the line (see the next post). When my blood pressure goes up, it's time to refocus on what I am eating, thinking and doing.

When the foundation of our business began to crumble, I found myself once again on unsteady ground. My self-esteem tumbled. What did I really want? I signed up with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition where my coach asked me what did I do for fun?  This question made me cry. I’d lost that part of me. All work and no play makes a very dull girl. The only thing I did for me routinely was hot yoga, 90 minutes of sweating in a 110-degree room. Although, in the beginning it offered me great discipline and detoxification, it suddenly felt abusive. It no longer served me.

I needed time for reflection, time to stop doing and time to just be.

I learned meditation and gave myself 20 minutes a day to practice and then I did what I needed to make my heart sing. I returned to movement to music that was fun, joyful and good for my heart, my brain and my soul.

This enabled me to focus on what I really wanted to leave behind for future generations. I asked myself what mark did I want to make on this world?

This is where the gift of Asteya hits me hard emotionally. In our quest to make a living (Artha) what were we leaving behind?  I began to see how our lifestyles were stealing from future generations. Our processed fast food steals nutrients with each bite and creates offspring with unprecedented chronic disease. Our practice and mentality to throw everything away with each meal creates unprecedented waste.

This waste creates so much trash that we now have three islands of plastic floating in our oceans (each larger than the state of Texas!), killing our much needed fish and wildlife.

The insatiable desire for, and addiction to fast food, chemical and GMO laden food has created an epidemic of obesity and chronic illness that will completely bankrupt our country.

How do we truly make America great again?

We remember the native American wisdom to consider the next seven generations in every decision we make.

Is what we are eating three times a day life affirming? Are we cultivating love, laughter and life? Or are our decisions leading to diet, disease and death?

When we fail to care for our ourselves, animals and our environment we steal from our children, grandchildren and future generations.

How will you practice Non Stealing Today?

Here’s a few tips from me:

• Buy a glass or stainless steel water bottle and refuse to support plastic bottle industry.
• Purchase bamboo silverware and pack in your purse or backpack to save plastics.
• Prioritize 20 minutes of meditation and 20 minutes of movement @ least once a day; optimally twice a day.
• Eat only real, whole, unprocessed food.

Carpe Diem,

Lisa

ABOUT LISA JACKSON, RN, CHC, RYT-500

Lisa is an author, inspirational speaker and coach with a mission to inspire and empower others to feel their best at any age. She is also the Executive Director of the Integrative Wellness Program at the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in Bethesda, MD.

Her book, Savvy Secrets: Eat, Think & Thrive outlines seven steps to optimal health that are fun and transformational. Lisa is founder of Carpe Diem Wellness
and the Wellness Inspired Network and part of the New Self Health Movement. When she is not coaching, speaking or writing, you can find her joyfully practicing yoga and sharing Carpe Diem Dance.