Yoga’s Asteya: Why Non-Stealing Matters in the Online World

The digital age has brought yoga to more people than ever before, but it’s also introduced a new set of ethical challenges. Although the yoga tradition deeply values ahimsa – non-violence – its quieter counterpart, asteya, or non-stealing, often receives less attention. Yet, in the rapidly expanding online yoga space, the principles of asteya are increasingly relevant, and increasingly tested. This isn’t simply about avoiding physical theft; it encompasses the taking of time, ideas, labor, credit, and content.

Traditionally, asteya means refraining from taking anything that isn’t freely given. In practice, this manifests in numerous ways online. It’s the uncredited reposting of someone’s writing or a re-branded yoga sequence presented as original work. It’s the expectation that teachers contribute content “for exposure” without fair compensation. It’s studios requesting ongoing access to recorded classes or workshops, intending to resell them repeatedly without appropriate payment. And it’s the appropriation of community-focused offerings, replicated for private profit without acknowledgment or reciprocity. The core issue is a subtle but pervasive form of extraction, where the energy, time, creativity, and trust of yoga practitioners are taken without equitable exchange.

The Cost of “Exposure” and Uncompensated Labor

I recall a specific instance where a studio requested I contribute to their yoga teacher training, offering only exposure in return. When I requested a licensing agreement to protect the intellectual property – the years of study and practice invested in my work – the request was denied. The studio ultimately approached another teacher willing to contribute without such stipulations. This experience highlighted a troubling dynamic: advocating for ethical exchange within yoga spaces is often perceived as disruptive, rather than as a fundamental alignment with yogic principles.

This dynamic isn’t unique to the yoga world. As Yoga Journal recently reported, the issue of stealing – or rather, failing to honor asteya – is a growing concern. But it’s crucial to acknowledge the complex history surrounding yoga itself. The practice has been taken, diluted, and repackaged, particularly as it’s been adopted in the West. This history should foster humility, but it doesn’t absolve us of the responsibility to practice ethical restraint in our interactions with one another.

A Historical Context of Appropriation

The West’s history of appropriation extends far beyond yoga. There’s a long-standing pattern of theft, particularly from communities of color, women, and marginalized groups. Acknowledging this broader context is essential. However, recognizing past injustices shouldn’t excuse current unethical behavior. Instead, it should compel us to strive for a higher standard of care and reciprocity. When we ask someone to provide their labor without fair compensation, we’re essentially asking them to subsidize our business or platform with their years of training and the often-unseen emotional labor involved.

This extends to seemingly modest acts, like quietly repackaging another person’s online course or method as your own. While truly original ideas are rare, crediting sources and acknowledging inspiration is paramount. Social media has evolved beyond a platform for personal connection; it’s now a space where individuals build businesses and generate income. This reality necessitates a higher ethical standard.

The Hypocrisy Within Community Spaces

What’s particularly jarring is when these practices occur within spaces that explicitly promote community, healing, and collective liberation. When someone invests in creating something generous and meaningful, and another person quietly appropriates it for their own benefit, a fundamental trust is broken. It’s a violation of the very principles these spaces claim to uphold.

The question isn’t simply about protecting content; it’s about protecting dignity, trust, and the care that sustains a thriving community.

Challenging Questions for the Yoga Community

If we are truly committed to asteya, we must ask ourselves difficult questions. Are we consistently crediting our sources and honoring the intellectual lineage of the practices we share? Are we framing requests for labor as “opportunities” when they are, in reality, requests for uncompensated work? Are we compensating teachers fairly for digital content that generates ongoing revenue? And, perhaps most importantly, are we building wealth solely for institutions, or are we ensuring that the individuals who make the sharing of this practice possible are also benefiting?

Honoring asteya requires choosing reciprocity over convenience. It means paying people fairly for their contributions. It means seeking consent before sharing or repurposing someone else’s work. It means explicitly naming and acknowledging our teachers. And it means slowing down enough to consider whether our success is coming at another’s expense.

Responsibility and Reciprocity

We don’t “own” yoga in the traditional sense. Instead, we are responsible for everything we do with it. Asteya reminds us that what we’re truly safeguarding isn’t intellectual property, but the integrity of our relationships and the health of our community.

This isn’t about creating a rigid set of rules, but about cultivating a mindful awareness of our actions and their impact on others. It’s about recognizing that ethical behavior isn’t a disruption to yoga; it *is* yoga. It’s a practice of aligning our actions with our values, and fostering a space where all practitioners can thrive with dignity and respect.

Moving forward, a continued conversation about ethical exchange is vital. This includes developing clearer guidelines for content creation and usage within the online yoga space, and fostering a culture of transparency and accountability.