The YAMAS – suggestion for living a soulful life

The first is nonviolence, the second is truthfulness, and the third is non-stealing. All should be practiced in thought, word, and deed. For most people, non-stealing means non-theft. In yoga, however, it means not to commit theft physically and not to cause or approve of anyone else doing so in thoughts, words, or actions. The three ways to observe non-stealing are intellectual, verbal, and physical. We also need to be careful not to steal from ourselves, which often stems from fear of not being “enough,” leading to overwork, missed rest, or emotional depletion. Observing intellectual non-stealing is most difficult, for it implies that we should not even think about wanting to take something that belongs to another. It does not mean we cannot see something another person has, admire it, and wish to acquire it, but anything we acquire must be done through our own efforts. According to yoga, what you have not earned has not yet been presented to you. Anything coming into your life, you have earned it, and it has the potential to bring you happiness. However, anything coming into your life that has not been earned will bring struggle, difficulty, and perhaps unhappiness. Verbal non- stealing implies that you should not steal what belongs to another on a verbal level, such as stealing one’s dignity. pride, happiness, moment of glory, or mental values. You should not injure a person's character in any way, shape, or form, Physical non-stealing – to take an object by deceit, force, skullduggery, or without permission is physical theft. If you want something, you must realize that it must be earned. This produces stability, balance, self-sufficiency, and a peaceful state of being. Let’s see if we can find this today. END: By the practice of non-violence. Truthfulness and non-stealing, we begin to gain the ability to cleanse, gather, and lift the lifeforce, and with this, our goal of soulful realization becomes clearer. Be peaceful, truthful, and willing to do the work to bring health, happiness, and peace to the body, mind, and soul. This extends far beyond literal theft—it includes stealing time, energy, creativity, truth, and emotional presence from others and from oneself EGO: Flip your palms up and extend out the index finger – the ego. Ego and stealing are linked because the ego often drives us to: • Compare ourselves to others, measuring worth through achievement rather than inner growth • Perform to gain approval, which can lead to overexertion and emotional “theft” from others • Protect or inflate the self by interrupting or “one-upping” others, which steals their sense of value • Pull your finger in place, the thumb on top - the symbol of the soul. Take a breath and surrender to the soul. • Yoga’s approach is to redirect attention inward—to the breath, the present moment, and the true self beneath the ego’s surface. By cultivating self-awareness, humility, and presence, we reduce the ego’s need to “steal” from others or ourselves. This aligns with the yogic ideal of non-harming) and (truth), where honesty and respect for others’ and our own boundaries are central to living a healthy, happy, and peaceful life. Namaste~ may you walk the path of life with health, happiness, and peace. Doctor Lynn