Yoga to Transform (00:48)
All right. So we are working into the third of the Yama and the Niyama tonight. And tonight it's a stayer or non-stealing. So I really love like, you know, there's the obvious, well, this is really easy, right? Because I don't steal. You know, if I see a bike that's not locked, then I, you know, walk past it. Or if I pick up a wallet, I drop it off and I find the owner.
So most of us, most of us would kind of, I guess, feel pretty smug like this is an easy one. Ha, you know, I've got this already. it's interesting because one of my the spiritual teachers that I listened to, Louise Hayes, she's no longer alive, but she'd say, you know, even taking a pen from your employer is stealing and really, you know, you just can't do it.
the admission. Stolen a pen from the employer. There you go. Bam boom. But it's so it's interesting in terms of that, like from her perspective, the real black and whiteness. And we'll get into why that is the case as we move through class. But it also extends to other things like non-hoarding. So that that tendency to to hold on to stuff forever.
Or be greedy and just buy that extra stuff. Like my grandmother when she died, she had like so much stuff, you know. And utilizing more resources than you need, right? So just kind of consuming more than you need or taking up more than you need. taking time from others, so not starting on time, not fin, you know, that whole sorry I'm late kind of scenario.
And also too, I th this one is pretty cool, which is just stealing from the richness of the moment. So when we can't be completely present with the moment and enjoy it fully because we've got a complaint or we're thinking about something else or whatever, we're we're taking away from ourselves that that pleasure and that joy of just being fully engrossed in this wonderful moment that we've been given, which is
Very left field, I know, but you know, not accepting life as it is is really stealing from from our own joy, our own ability to experience the full bliss of life. So Gandhi apparently had 11 vows, and he he thought non-stealing was such an important thing that it was one of his 11 vows. and he he spoke of it.
More from the perspective of not again, not just stealing the physical act of stealing, like I'm gonna take your bicycle off you. But you can tell I've had a bike or three stolen. What can I think of to get stolen? A bike. But he he referred to kind of man's greed and craving for artificial needs are also stealing. So that desire that
So in Anusara and in Tantra, we don't say desire is bad, right? So desire is what draws you forward, right? The god karma, who is the god of of desire, it's not a bad thing in our style of yoga, but it could it it can it is perceived as bad in other other schools of yoga. But it's that when we go too far.
with the greed and the desire and the taking more than we need and craving for stuff that you know we don't really need, right? Like it's not, it's not adding anything to the fullness of who we are. So if we come to that physical act of stealing, right? So there's there's the don't steal.
But there's this step back from that, which is, okay, well, why would one consider stealing in the first place? Like what is the underlying cause of the desire to have something that's not yours or to hold on to more than what you need, or to gather up lots of cans of baked beans or whatever it might be, order to be really focused on yourself. And I get when you peel that back.
I guess it could be a sense of not being enough or not having enough, right? Which is this like a lot of people kind of say, I'm not enough, or I'm not good enough, or I'm not something enough, right? So at the root of it is this feeling, this disconnection and separation from enoughness. And yoga says that the idea.
That you are separate and not enough is an illusion, right? Because you are enough and you're not separate from anything. Like there's a there's a connection to the abundance of this life that we need to cultivate and a connection to our own enoughness because from the Anyasara perspective, we are and we're one with everything. So we're totally enough. so so that that tends to be what
s lies beneath the the need to have more to take to steal from other people so in that moment that we feel a lack in life that desire that want that greed arises and we look for something to fill the empty emotion because we believe something is missing and I don't know if you've heard me talk about purna or purnatta the fullness
Of of who we are and that remembrance of that fullness. But sometimes we believe that we're not full and that something is missing and that we're not enough. And so this whole practice of yoga is to unite us with becoming whole and that remembrance of our own enoughness and our own fullness and our own goodness. and
create contentment which is I think one of the niyamas that we'll talk about in probably about eight weeks' time there or thereabouts. So when we buy more than what we need we may be looking to fill a gap right but material possessions can't replace what the soul needs right so we have to look
Beyond the yearning or the desire externally to find that internal, what is it that I'm actually looking for? So we tend to break a staya or go steal stuff when we're comparing ourselves with others. And it's a huge part of the yogic philosophy: just don't compare yourself with everyone else, right? You've got your own game, you've got your own dharma, you've
play in your own field, stay in your own lane, because the person beside you who might be able to hold handstand and do all of these other cool things, like that's their game. Your game is this one. So comparison with others, that desire, but
From a tantric perspective, we don't say desire is good, we say desire pulls us forward. So it just depends on that, that what is it that we're desiring and why are we desiring it. and a sense of lack in either any way. So whether that's lack of money, lack of power, lack of you know, being connected to who I am. So, like I said, the core idea is that you need to know that you already have enough and you already are enough.
And everything that you need, you will always receive when you need it. And when I reflect back on my life, and I've done this a few times, I've always gone, I was never left needing or wanting. Yeah. Whatever, like I was always looked after. And sometimes it was always very miraculous how things happened, but it happened. So the practice then is to start recognizing that.
You will always be looked after. And that's connecting into this abundance mindset. Because when you know that you're abundant, right, then you don't feel like you don't have enough. Right. You've just got that knowing that I'm full and knowing that I don't need to steal from anyone else.
a couple of other thoughts is that when you stay in your comfort zone, yeah, when you have a desire pulling you forward, but you get afraid and you stay in your comfort zone, you're stealing from your potential, right? You're stealing from the person that you can become. You're stealing from that future version of yourself. when we're jealous of another person, we're stealing from them.
and we really need to practice the reverse, which is cultivating love for them and gratitude that they're thriving. So I don't know if you've ever had that moment of being jealous that someone else is doing really successful. Yeah. And then you're yeah, I catch myself doing it all the time. And I'm like, now I have to like be happy for them and congratulate them and and mean it, like really work to really believe that I'm
Happy that they're thriving and grateful that they're thriving because that gratitude for their success creates then that connection inside of yourself to be grateful for your own success, whatever that may look like for you. and then sometimes we steal other people's peace of mind because we might be in a bad mood. Have you ever, you know, I I
I've done it quite a lot with my children. I've come home and the house has been a mess. I think I've even talked about it in yoga class. And then I get in a bad mood and I steal my children's peace of mind. so I have to kind of respect them by not interrupting their peace of mind and look for ways that I can manage my mood. Yeah. So it's not a because it's actually not about anyone else. When I have a reaction, it's always about me. But I'm stealing from someone else when I'm putting
my reaction on them. And the other thing too is that if you think someone's done amazing or they've done a good job or you're part of a team and someone's really put in a great amount of effort or come up with the idea that's made the team successful, like give credit where credit's due because when we're not celebrating the other person's success or acknowledging it or telling them that,
Then we're stealing from them that kind of right that they have to be celebrated or rewarded. So
Turn up on time. I don't think that's a problem here. And then Esther. So it's really about that overcoming of comparison and that overcoming of thinking that we need what other people have. Right. and that feeling of not being good enough the way that we are or that with what we have. So the way to counteract,
this not enoughness or this illusion, which is one of them mayas, myas, is this illusion that we are separate and we're not enough. Right. So there's three three great illusions that we teach in yoga. And this is this one, this illusion is basically behind the reason why we would be stealing a whole different lot of different levels as discussed from other people.
So that is a stayer. Do not steal, hoard, compare, desire and take too much, like, you know, when you're at a buffet, yeah.
Just take enough. Yeah. And but the main thing is working on that building of your own feeling of inner abundance and fullness. because that is who you truly are. You are enough and you will always have exactly what you need, exactly when you need it. And that building of that trust and that knowing is the returning of you to your own wholeness. And the reason.
We steal is because we don't feel cold. There you go. Any questions on that one? a lot of those things resonate with me. Yeah. I know what you're saying. Yeah. So, but yeah. Often people want to, you know, they don't have enough, they think they don't have enough and they need more and buy more. It's just rubbish, isn't it? Continuous. Well it is. Yeah.
And I but I I mean I think if you look out if we look out at society at the moment, right, our cultural conditioning is that we don't have enough, right? And so we're all scrambling to get more and to get more and to get more and we create these kind of cycles of whatever it might be, which is good because the human human we're meant to be expanding and our potential is meant to be increasing. So we humans
meant to be growing, right? That's our innate kind of quality, which is why I love yoga, because it's like you can you could keep turning up on the yoga mat and you'll always be surprised with a new yoga pose, right? There's a never it's just infinite the expansion that you can be creating in this practice of yoga and meditation. But and same same on the outside world in terms of material possessions. So the
We have our own version of stealing, which is what we've talked about here, but then we've got this bigger kind of cultural situation happening at the moment, which Gandhi was pointing to. Mankind's greed and craving for artificial needs are also stealing. So us needing well, I've got two computers and a mobile phone and a, you know. Natural resources. That's right. We're just plundering. Exactly.
so what I thought we would do tonight for the meditation is a guided meditation and an it's an abundance meditation. So that that connecting to this knowledge that we are abundant and the world is abundant is I guess the best medicine for this I'm not enough or there isn't enough or I haven't got enough.
that is the underlying cause of our tendency to be stealing. So shall we take a comfortable seat?
And you can take your thighs back in apart and just close your eyes.
And begin to focus on your breath.
And breathe in through your nodes.
Breathing out through your nose.
And with every inhalation, just feel the fullness of your chest and your belly and your ribs as they rise.
With every exhalation, just soften over that fullness.
And as you take this bright breath in, breathing, lengthening long through the sides of your body, just connect to that inner knowing that you are already full.
You are already enough.
And this flow of the air into your lungs.
Is abundant.
You'll always have
The one thing you need to be alive is
You breathe.
right there at the tip of your nostrils, waiting for you to inhale.
And just soften into that fullness.
And as you take that full bright breath in and feeling that inner expansion of who you are.
Begin to think of the abundance that you're surrounded by.
Everywhere you look, you'll see abundance.
There's abundance of trees, of leaves, of grass, of animals in the forest.
Of birds in the tree.
Everywhere you look the world is abundant.
The only limit in your life is the limit to your own thinking.
So as you take that bright breath in, feeling the fullness of each inhalation, reminding you that you are full.
Just begin to imagine your life as it is.
And imagine yourself
And realize that you are God's highest form of creation.
Our biggest delusion is the belief that things outside of us.
Things other than our own state of being.
creates all the things that happen to us.
And as you take this bright breath in
And as you exhale and soften and relax deeply.
relaxing deeper into this meditation.
Your mind is going to go.
To beautiful places.
And know that anything you see on the screen of your mind you can create in the material world.
Take this bright breath in.
And exhale and soften and relax.
Know that if you can hold it in your head, you can hold it in your hand.
Taking a bright breath in. Let your body sink into a totally relaxed state.
Exhale and let your mind become quiet. Let your body relax.
Realize you're not a body. You merely live in the body.
You're not your name. It's something you have.
You never say I am hand. You say my hand, my name. These are things you have.
Take a bright breath in and exhale fully. You're totally relaxed.
Totally relaxed.
Your body is becoming lighter.
I want you to visualize a funnel.
A huge funnel, and it's pointed right at the center of your head. And flowing from this funnel, there's a beautiful lavender energy.
Flowing from space in through that funnel and through you, energy flows.
into your consciousness.
And your head.
circulating through your brain.
Moving its way down your body, down the back of your head, your cheeks, your neck.
Your back, your shoulders, and as this beautiful lavender energy, this beautiful healing energy moves down through your body, your body becomes clearer, moving down through your chest, down your arms, into your hands.
into your hips and your body becomes vibrant and alive and you're becoming very relaxed.
More relaxed.
And your body becomes lighter and lighter.
More and more relaxed. Your mind becomes clearer. And you can feel your consciousness shift.
Can feel the lavender energy moving down your legs into your feet. And you can feel your level of conscious awareness expand.
You are living in the creative world, in the world of your imagination, where all creation begins.
Your entire body now is clear, clean, relaxed, calm, in perfect harmony with the law of vibration.
And a feeling of abundance is filling your whole consciousness. It's filling your whole being.
You feel a love for your friends and loved ones and relatives and
You breathe in, there's a feeling of love that's almost overwhelming, and it's filling your consciousness.
You feel an abundance of health in every molecule of your being.
As you inhale, you're becoming stronger, more alive, more in tune with the new with the universe, of which you are a very important part.
of which you are a unique expression of a creative power.
There's a beautiful awareness moving into your consciousness now.
You're imagining all the things you would like to bring into material existence.
Taking that bright breath in. Imagine friendships that are so strong and loving and real.
And you have this enormous desire.
To share this wonderful abundance with your friends.
And think of your loved ones.
and connect to that feeling of love that supersedes anything you've ever experienced.
It's happening in your mind right now.
You are permitting these feelings to fill your consciousness. There's an abundance of health in every molecule. Your being is dancing in perfect harmony with the law of vibration.
Breathe in a full bright breath. Feel the fullness of who you are. And as you exhale, relax even more.
You're totally relaxed.
And now you're going to create with your marvelous mind the kind of life you want.
The prosperity, all the things you've dreamed about are started and created in your mind.
You're so relaxed and you think of all the abundance that you're surrounded by, that you're a part of, and it is a part of you.
You open yourself up and receive the good that is your birthright.
In all aspects of your life.
all the philanthropic philanthropic thoughts that flow into your mind. You see now as potential realities. And you know by holding these images and building strategies to execute these images in your mind.
You are totally relaxed.
You're calm and confident.
You realize that the abundance you see everywhere with everyone else is available to you.
This is very real. It isn't some dream. This isn't some fantasy.
If you can imagine yourself holding it in your head, you can hold it in your hand. Anything you can visualize will move and deform in your life.
That is one of the first laws of the universe. The perpetual transmutation of energy. It flows to you and through you.
And as it comes into your consciousness, it has no form. And you have the ability to give it form.
You're living where you want to live. You're doing what you really want to do. In every aspect of your life, there's abundance.
You're expanding and you have this inner awareness. You are a spiritual being. And as such, spirit is always about expansion and fuller expression.
And there's a part of you that is growing and expanding and growing.
And you're doing greater good in all of your work.
In everything you do with everyone you have this enormous desire to share the increase.
You leave everyone with the impression of increase.
They feel better because they've come into contact with you.
There is an abundance in every aspect of your life. And it is waiting to manifest. And you know you can bring it into the physical world.
You know, you're in harmony with the law.
And you're going to willingly give and graciously receive. And you know you're God's highest form of creation.
And when you come out of this meditation, you're going to feel like a totally different person.
You're going to see a totally different world.
And you're going to know abundance is your birthright.
And from this point on, you're going to bring it into being in your life.
And you're going to assist every person you can to bring abundance into their life because it is your birthright, and you're feeling new energy flow into every cell of your being. There's a consciousness of abundance, and it's yours.
You're bringing abundance into every feeling, every aspect of your life.
You're so relaxed.
And as you take a bright breath in, begin to bring a beautiful smile to your face.
And connect to the abundance that has always been yours.
And when you come out of this meditation, you're going to see the abundance everywhere you look.
And you're going to have a tremendous desire to share this new abundance and to continue to grow and expand.
You are an enormously powerful individual, capable of all the greatness you have visualized.
Now you get to go out and enjoy the abundant life that you deserve. You have always had and you'll always have.
when you get to share the thoughts of your abundance with everyone who is open to accepting it.
Making that bright breath in.
Feeling the fullness of who you are, the abundance of your own inner being.
And as you exhale, begin to release everything.
And when you're ready, open your eyes.
Namaste. Namaste.
