Newsletter ~ May 18, 2025
🐦⬛ Asteya: Stop Stealing from Your Future Self 💖✨
🐦⬛ Asteya: Stop Stealing from Your Future Self 💖✨
This Week’s Theme: Trusting Your Voice, Letting Go of What’s Not Yours
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Opening Reflection: When Letting Go is the Most Honest Thing You Can Do
Last fall, right when I got back to Southern California from my lifelong home in Boise, Idaho, I auditioned for a teaching position and was hired on the spot at a local yoga studio close to my house here in La Quinta! The owner said my teaching was "lovely."
I was excited! Nervous!! Hopeful!!! Giddy!!!!
At first, she told me I'd teach 2 classes a week. Then it jumped to 4, even though I wasn't even on the schedule yet. I began creating sequences for my first 4 classes, while still waiting to get my official schedule.
Finally, she asked me to just come in and teach one of her classes. It wasn't a gentle yoga class that I thought I was hired to teach, but I was still game to teach for her. I was so excited!
After the class, several students came up and thanked me and told me how much they enjoyed my teaching. The owner pulled me aside and she asked how I thought I did. I thought I had done well. I pointed out where I could have done better and she agreed... "You could have done better."
As teachers, aren't we constantly reflecting on our teaching and always taking note of where we can improve next time?
Later that evening, she sent me a text that I wasn't "a good fit" for her studio. I was hired—AND FIRED (OVER TEXT)—within days and I'd only taught one public class.
I was devastated. Embarrassed. Humiliated.
It hit hard. I cried. I questioned everything: my cueing, my voice, my belonging in the yoga world. I was ready to give it all up. I almost quit yoga altogether.
Instead, I chose to follow my own truth. My own inner strength. My own voice.
Honestly, had I stayed in that role, I might have disappeared into someone else’s style. Their structure. Their expectations. I would have kept showing up, but not fully as myself.
And maybe that would’ve looked good from the outside—but it would’ve been a quiet betrayal of myself, by myself. A slow leak of my own integrity. The kind of subtle stealing that chips away at your voice, your truth… your future.
This is what Asteya—the third Yama of Patanjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga—reminds us:
☑️ Stealing doesn’t always look like taking.
☑️ Sometimes, it’s withholding—our light, our gifts, our honest expression.
☑️ Sometimes, it’s settling—for what looks good instead of what feels right.
☑️ Sometimes, it’s grasping—because we’re afraid to trust what might unfold if we let go.
Had I remained in that job, I wouldn’t have started this newsletter.
I would have played small. I would have stayed hidden.
But instead, I let it go. I trusted the space that opened. And I chose to seek MY truth.
Asteya teaches us to stop stealing from our future selves by overcommitting in the present to what isn’t ours.
Where in your life are you still holding on?
Where are you ready to let go—not because you’re giving up, but because you're ready to honor what’s true?
Signs Along the Way: Ravens & Truth
On my evening walks here in SoCal, I see ravens by the hundreds—sometimes thousands. They roost in the tall trees along the golf course, and their calls echo across the shadows and last rays of daylight, welcoming each other home.
Ravens have long been symbols of truth, transformation, and magic in mythology—from Norse to Native American traditions. They don’t just witness change—they announce it.
Lately, they’ve felt like messengers—reminding me to stay true to my voice, even when it’s uncomfortable… even when it feels scary... even when it would be easier to stay small.
Each evening this week that I've witnessed the ravens, I'm reminded of this week’s theme:
Asteya is about not stealing from ourselves—not our energy, not our voice, not our future.
The ravens remind me that truth has wings, and that when we honor what is real, we rise.
This Week’s Yoga Nidra ~ Sacred Integrity: The Practice of Asteya
This week’s Yoga Nidra script was created to support the inner work of Asteya—non-stealing—not just as a moral code, but as an energetic practice.
We honor what is yours to carry… and what isn’t. We explore what it means to live with respect, restraint, and right relationship with ourselves.
You’ll journey through a vivid visualization inspired by the Emerald City (in the Wizard of Oz... not Seattle)—an inner hall of integrity, where you’re invited to return what no longer belongs to you and reclaim what always has.
Let this be your space to reset—without grasping, without withholding, without settling.
Inside this Yoga Nidra, we ask:
Where in your life are you ready to practice restraint—not as punishment, but as peace?
What are you being asked to return, gently and with love?
What would it feel like to offer your voice, time, or presence only when it aligns with your heart?
Sunday Night Yin + Yoga Nidra: The Practice of Asteya
📅 May 18th, 6:30pm PT / 9:30pm ET
Theme: The Practice of Asteya (Non-Stealing)
Join me this Sunday for a 50-minute class that explores the the third Yama of Patanjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga—Asteya, or non-stealing—not just in action, but in energy, attention, and truth.
This class is for anyone who’s felt the pull of over-giving, over-functioning, or playing small. For anyone who’s ready to stop stealing time from their future self by settling in the present moment.
In this Sunday night’s Yoga Nidra, we’ll explore the subtle ways we withhold our light, overextend our energy, and disconnect from our deeper knowing.
This 20-minute guided journey will invite you to:
Rest in the clarity of a crystal clear, emerald colored glow that flows through the body
Walk through an emerald hall to return what isn’t yours to carry
Reclaim the gifts you've withheld—your voice, your presence, your power
Re-anchor in right relationship with yourself and the world around you
This practice is for anyone who needs to be reminded:
You don’t need to shrink to be safe.
You don’t need to hold what was never yours.
You don’t need to settle for “good” when your heart is asking for true.
Inside this grounding class:
A 20-minute Yoga Nidra script inspired by the principle of Asteya
Visualization of a crystal-clear emerald hall for restoration and return
A Sankalpa planted in the steadiness of your own integrity
You are invited to pause, reflect, and walk forward with less weight.
Join us from home—jammies welcome!
How I Can Support You Right Now
🌿 Sunday Night Yoga – The Practice of Asteya
Join me live this Sunday for 50 minutes of Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra centered on the third Yama, Asteya. This practice is about restoring balance—letting go of what’s not yours and reclaiming your own energy, voice, and presence.
It’s not a recording. It’s a real-time invitation to reset, reflect, and rest.
Come as you are—yes, even in your jammies.
Reserve your spot → Join Sunday Night Yoga
🌸 1:1 Somatic Yoga & Intention Coaching
You don’t have to do it alone. Let’s work together to support your nervous system, reconnect to your voice, and build habits that actually feel good. Book a free Q & A call with me to learn more.
🔥 Ayurvedic Reset Support
Feeling the urge to clear out and come back to center? Start by taking my FREE Dosha Quiz, then reach out. I’ll walk you through what an Ayurvedic reset can look like, one grounded, realistic step at a time.
What I’m Working On
Cleaning up and closing out the house in La Quinta, California
I'm getting ready to head back to Boise, Idaho for the summer, which means this week has been full of sorting what stays and what I cannot live without the next 6 months ie clothes, books, sound bowls, cats. Looking forward to getting home to Boise, where I was born, went to school, taught school, and raised my girls.
Getting clear on my brand’s look and feel
I’m deep in the process of refining how I want my work to look, sound, and feel. This includes everything from colors and fonts to the deeper message behind what I’m sharing. I want my work to reflect what these post-COVID years have taught me—that there’s a different way to support teachers, and that I want to lead with clarity, integrity, and grounded care.
Supporting teachers through this final stretch
This time of year used to leave me completely wrung out. And now that I’m on the other side of the classroom, I’m doing my best to be the encourager I wish I’d had. Most of my creative energy this week is going toward content meant to uplift, steady, and remind teachers that they’re not alone.
Learning about Norse runes
Ravens have been showing up on my daily walks in huge numbers. They’ve become a personal symbol of truth, transformation, and deep listening. As I follow that thread, I’ve started learning more about Norse runes and how they might find their way into my future offerings and visual branding. I’m not rushing it—I’m just staying curious. I'm fascinated by language and what I'm learning is how runes are an ancient language. Somehow, I'd misconceived that they were like fortune telling and that doesn't seem to be accurate.
What I’m Celebrating
🎉 My husband had another six-month cancer scan come back clear—he had four cancer bouts in 7 years, including two lung cancers and the removal of a lobe of his right lung. Found out this week he's still (3 years!!) cancer-free!
🎉 In my teaching years, I fell into a rhythm: coffee → classroom → wine → repeat. Wine became the punctuation mark at the end of every day. A ritual. A habit.
During my Ayurveda cleanse last month, I went several days without wine. This led me to realize I feel better without it. So, I’m celebrating several days without wine—not from a place of restriction, but from relief.
It feels good to unhook from what was never really helping. Since the cleanse, several nights I've continued to choose tea over wine—Am realizing it was more of a habit than a help, and feeling so much better without it.
🎉 Returning to a more nourishing evening rhythm—using gentle Yin and Yoga Nidra instead of defaulting to wine to unwind in the evening.
🎉 That I get to walk this path of becoming—alongside you!
A Sankalpa for Asteya
Asteya invites us to live with respect—for our energy, our timing, our truth. It reminds us that what is truly ours will never require us to grasp, strive, or shrink.
This week, return to what is already within you. Let your vow come from a place of enoughness.
Place one hand on your heart and one on your belly. Feel the breath move between them. Whisper this to yourself:
“I honor what is mine to carry. I release what is not. I live with respect and restraint.”
Let it rise and fall with your breath. Let it anchor you.
Journal Prompts for Returning to Right Relationship and the Practice of Asteya
Let these questions guide your reflection on Asteya—non-stealing. Not just in what we take, but in what we withhold, overextend, or settle for. Use these prompts to explore how you can move forward with more clarity, restraint, and trust in what’s yours.
Where in your life are you ready to practice restraint, not as punishment, but as peace?
What are you being asked to return—gently, humbly, with love?
What would it feel like to offer your time, attention, or presence only when it aligns with your inner compass?
YOU're Invited to the Next Practice
📅 TONIGHT! Sunday Night Yoga (Yin & Yoga Nidra) Class –
May 18th - 6:30pm Pacific Time/9:30pm Eastern
Theme: The Practice of Asteya (Non-Stealing)
Gentle Yin + Yoga Nidra to nurture quiet growth.
Soothe your Sunday Scaries and join us! It's relaxing and will set you up for an amazing week!
Reserve your spot
📅 UPCOMING Sunday Night Yoga (Yin & Yoga Nidra) Class –
May 25th - 6:30pm Pacific Time/9:30 pm Eastern Time Theme: Exploring the Heart Chakra
📅 UPCOMING More offerings coming soon! Subscribers are the FIRST to know! 💖💫😉
Here's a Quick Tea Tip ~ Fancy a Cuppa?
This week I’ve been reaching for dandelion root tea—light, earthy, yet grounding, and gently cleansing. I found that I prefer this to the roasted dandelion root tea I initially tried last month. (The roasted version has a more robust, almost coffee-like flavor.)
Both version—regular or roasted—support liver and digestive function. Both help clear stagnation—physically and emotionally. And both are a wonderful herbal ally during seasonal or life transitions.
Note: Dandelion root can interact with certain medications like diuretics or blood pressure meds. I also understand that there can be allergic reactions if you have an allergy to certain plants in the same family as dandelion. Check with your medical provider if you’re unsure.
A daily cup of tea is like a warm hug for your body and soul. ☕
Until Next Time…
Check out my new blog post about my take on the third Yama, Asteya (non stealing). I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Remember
This week’s Yoga Nidra invites you to stop grasping, stop settling, and stop stealing from the version of you that’s trying to emerge.
Let this be a week of restraint—not as restriction, but as respect.
Let this be a week of clarity—not as control, but as care.
You don’t have to do more to be worthy.
You don’t have to hold what isn’t yours.
You don’t have to prove a thing.
Please...
And, if you are finding value in this newsletter, please share it with a fellow educator who might also be interested!
So grateful to be on this journey with you. Thank you for being here, I appreciate you. 💖✨
As always....
Sending So Much Love & Light to You!
~ Angie
