Everything You Need is Right Here
How does gender dysphoria relate to Asteya, the yogic principle of non-stealing?
There are so many ways we steal the present moment from ourselves, whether it’s thinking about the past, the future, what we lack, comparing ourselves to others, and the list goes on. For trans+ people, gender dysphoria can be another way we’re robbed of the present moment.
Asteya is a yogic principle which relates to non-stealing. It involves not stealing from others but it’s also about not stealing from ourselves - especially not stealing the present moment. When we have a busy chattering ‘monkey mind’, it’s easy to miss out on what’s happening right now.
When Asteya is in balance, we might experience a sense of calm, a sense that everything we need is right here, no longer preoccupied by what’s lacking. We stop the outward search for things to complete us, so we can be with what’s here, this in breath, and this out breath.
Queer Yoga & gender dysphoria
As a non-binary trans masc person, I find that gender dysphoria can sometimes be a block preventing me from being present. For many trans+ people, the gender affirming care they need is far out of reach with huge wait lists and / or astronomical costs. Sometimes there is an intense longing for things to be different to how they are. So, how can trans+ folx work towards Asteya even when facing gender dysphoria?
Fortunately, the tools of yoga can help.
Since gender dysphoria is about the body, it might seem counter-intuitive to combat dysphoria with Asana, the physical practices of yoga. But when the magic happens, and we land in the present via the breath, the body can be experienced in a totally different way, connected to an internal experience as the external melts away.
There are many different styles of yoga, and not all yoga needs to include Asana - you can practice Pranayama, or breathwork, without any Asana at all. For me, personally, there is something healing about having a positive experience in my body when I practice the Asana, and this can sometimes combat feelings of dysphoria. Side note: I do mostly practice alone, without mirrors, often with my eyes closed. I particularly enjoy yoga in nature if I can find a secluded spot to be alone with the trees.
Finding what feels right
There’s no single prescription of a yoga practice to cure gender dysphoria. Sorry folx. That’s because we’re all unique, so how we deal with gender dysphoria differs from person to person. The challenge is to learn a range of tools and then select according to your needs, knowing this might be different from one day to the next.
Sometimes when I’m feeling dysphoric, I need to feel held in a gentle restorative pose. Other days, I want to feel strong in a plank pose or in an intense Yin pose. Whatever yoga I’m doing, it’s always the breath which helps to bring me out of my head. It’s the breath which restores the connection to the present moment, and it’s by matching breath with movement that I become aware of the inhale and exhale.
If you’re looking for inspiration, you’ll find plenty of mat and chair sequences in my book Queer Yoga, available for pre-order now (due April 2026). However, as I explore in the book, yoga is far more than what happens on the mat or chair. It’s more than poses and postures.
Taking Queer Yoga off the mat or chair
Yoga is about freeing up space in our system so we have more choices about how we engage, respond, or react. Yoga isn’t about toxic positivity or pretending things are OK when they’re not. But it’s about working with the freedom we do enjoy, which involves coming home to this very moment - after all, this moment is all we truly have.
On dysphoric days, my attention can be focused on my appearance in a way that sometimes makes me less connected from the people around me and less connected to myself. When I see what’s happening on a national and global level to trans rights, I can be overwhelmed by hopelessness, frustration, anger, or a sense of injustice. These feelings sometimes steal my energy, which prevents me from taking positive action such as reaching out to a friend, engaging in activism, or getting involved in trans+ community events. When Asteya is out of balance, it sometimes feels like motivation, joy, energy, and presence have been taken from me. The first step is becoming aware of what’s happening in these moments.
Hopping on the yoga mat or chair might not be an instant fix. But developing a steady practice creates a solid base to return to when times are tough. When we show up consistently to make yoga a routine part of our lives, we practice coming back to the present moment. We can then lean on these skills when thoughts, emotions, dysphoria, or anything else threatens to steal the present away from us.
Trans+ people have always been here
In yoga philosophy, Asteya is the third of five Yamas, which are guidelines for wellbeing. The Yamas are part of the Eight Limbs of Yoga, outlined in the Yoga Sutras, a sacred text from Ancient India, where yoga originates. Trans+ people have always existed, so it can be comforting to think of trans+ people thousands of years ago whose lives might have been touched by the same yogic texts we study today.
The Yamas like Asteya are principles we work towards, in the knowledge that they’re difficult for all humans, and have always been. We’re not looking for perfection. But by starting to bring awareness to things like non-stealing, we create the conditions for seeds of change. Every time we show up on the mat or chair, we’ve got more chance of practicing Asteya, by focusing our attention on the breath and returning to the present moment, this very moment, and perhaps we’ll find that everything we need is right here.