Attitude and motives – Karma Yoga

Not all Yoga is done on the mat. In fact the practice of Asana (poses) is only one part of following a Yoga lifestyle!

Four paths – one destination

There are four paths of Yoga, each of which combines to lead to the end destination of union with the Universal Consciousness. The four paths are:

• Karma Yoga – the Yoga of action
• Bhakti Yoga – the Path of Devotion
• Raja Yoga – the Yoga of Meditation
• Jnana Yoga – the Past of Knowledge

All of these are quite different aspects of our lives and we may find ourselves naturally leaning towards one path – this is fine as we are all different!

Right attitude – right motives

The key principles of Karma Yoga are to do things with the right attitude and for the right motives. This means doing your duty (towards self or others), doing your best, learning from your work and having pure motives (not seeking gain or reward). This doesn’t mean you can never get payment for doing work – we all need to earn enough to provide for ourselves and our dependants! What it does mean is that you shouldn’t be thinking firstly of the money – this is a bonus for doing the right thing in the right way.

“Strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world; by devotion to selfless work one attains the supreme goal of life. Do your work with the welfare of others always in mind.”

Baghdad Gita

My Karma Yoga story

When I was growing up, my parents both worked very hard providing for myself and my two sisters. They instilled into us the value of working together as a family, learning life-skills and trying to find enjoyment whilst carrying out our duties. Our tasks included cooking dinners, cleaning the house, digging and planting in the garden and helping with renovating the house.

As children we were obviously not that enthusiastic about moving piles of bricks (complete with giant spiders!), stripping multiple layers of wallpaper from walls or cleaning toilets! However, we soon learnt to work together and even have fun – I can clearly remember the joy of breaking concrete with a sledgehammer! We learnt skills for our adult lives (I’m great at mixing concrete and rotivating soil!) and we all look back on those times with affection and warmth.

Better to give than receive

I’m writing this in the middle of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and it seems that Karma Yoga is becoming more prevalent in these times of need. There are many wonderful examples of people volunteering to rejoin the NHS, help deliver groceries, teach children online and manufacture protective equipment.

These volunteers are doing a great act of kindness by offering their free time to help others in need. However, although they are not looking for anything themselves, there have been multiple studies which when analysed together show that there is also a benefit to the volunteer.¹ By giving to others, these kind people will also gain some happiness in doing so – the unexpected return gift of Karma Yoga.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Reference

1. Curry OS, Rowland LA, Van Lissa CJ, Zlotowitz S, McAlaney J, Whitehouse H. Happy to help? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of performing acts of kindness on the well-being of the actor. J Exp Soc Psychol. 2018;76:320–9.