| Karma Yoga is often overlooked by all of us. In | | | | and experiment in the laboratory of daily life. How |
| most Hatha Yoga teacher training programs, we | | | | many people wait for someone else to greet |
| tend to highlight it, but move on toward the | | | | them first? Then they feel lonely, unhappy, and |
| concepts of physical mastery. Yet, physical | | | | depressed because nobody says hello to them. |
| mastery alone does not deliver complete | | | | This is "karma in practice." |
| happiness. In fact, happiness occurs when our | | | | Now, if the same person were to greet everyone |
| Yoga practice becomes part of our life off the | | | | one they meet, by waving, bowing, or shaking |
| mat. | | | | hands, with a smile - all of the energy created |
| We know that Karma Yoga is mentioned within | | | | would be positive. The result of taking the |
| the Bhagavad-Gita and the Ishavasya Upanishad, | | | | initiative, with a friendly greeting, will be a state of |
| but many students outside of India are barely | | | | happiness. |
| familiar with it. If you ask a class full of students | | | | To go further, listening to others also makes |
| about the meaning of Karma Yoga, you would be | | | | them happy. How many people really listen to |
| lucky to get an answer. | | | | each other? The act of empathic listening costs |
| Karma Yoga is often translated as, "selfless | | | | us nothing, but it makes everyone happy when |
| service," such as charity work or giving to others | | | | we listen. All that is required is to give a little time |
| with time or money. Karma means "action or | | | | to someone else. |
| work," so it requires effort. Yoga means many | | | | As we go through our daily routine of work and |
| things. Most often, we hear Yoga means: Union, | | | | socializing with others, we cause small changes |
| Unity, or a Tranquil State of Mind. | | | | with our attitude toward others. When we are |
| Yet, Karma is often referred to as negative. Bad | | | | kind, charitable, and sociable, most people will |
| luck is bad karma, but good fortune is often | | | | naturally respond in the same manner. |
| thought of as an internal effort within our control, | | | | There is no need to wait for someone else to be |
| which occurred because of our effort. The law of | | | | friendly first. By taking positive action, we are |
| Karma is complex, but easy to understand. Our | | | | setting the wheels of karma in motion, and the |
| actions will have a negative or positive result. | | | | end result is our own happiness. |
| An easy way to test this theory is to observe | | | | |