The Bhagavad Gita defines yoga as skill in action, or discernment. Yoga isn’t just the posture we take on the mat, it’s the posture we take in life. The Gita goes on further to define a game-changing concept called Karma Yoga or the yoga of selfless action. It’s not just philosophy, it’s philosophy in action. It asks us to participate in life actively without getting attached to the outcome of our actions.
Imagine tapping into that deep well of creative force within. Where experiences, skills and dreams collide to put this seed of creation within us; that fear-free source that enables us to build whatever it is we want to build in life. So imagine that you tap into this very personal creative force within you, and then you start working towards your goal and in the process also battle fears and noises within. Then you start sharing some of your ideas and work with the world, and perhaps people start liking, sharing, commenting. You get 20 likes on this idea, 500 on that. You start thinking…maybe I should have posted a picture to get more likes and shares. Maybe I should tone it down because the audience isn’t ready to hear my deepest ideas. Maybe saying that will make me un-hireable in the future. The work hasn’t even really begun and our brains get hijacked by thoughts of how this or that is landing with our audience. We inadvertently start training ourselves to crave attention, creating this neediness that insidiously starts defining our self worth, creating attachment to every minor outcome in the process.
There’s nothing wrong with us. We are inherently relational and designed to care but what if instead of seeking likes, shares, comments and constant validation:
1. We kept bringing attention back to the original work we set out to do? And what if we repeatedly brought with us the heat of self-discipline? This combination of attention and self-discipline helps build courage to turn down the incessant internal chatter that says we’re not good enough. Showing up to do the work makes it so that we don’t get off-roaded so easily by the highs and lows of likes, comments and shares. Yoga calls this self-discipline Tapas.
2. We allocated time consistently for contemplation to separate the fear from focus? To understand the fluctuations of our mind and become more aware of things that integrate us with ourselves and our highest potential. Yoga calls this self-study Svadhyaya.
3. We did our work and then let it go, attaching the fruit of our labor to something larger than our self-interest? We cultivate a trust that we did our best and then release the work into the world with as much neutrality as we can muster; offering our actions to humanity. Yoga calls this act of devotion and dedication Ishvar Pranidhana.
These aren’t principles designed to create a joyless and overly ascetic life. On the contrary, practicing these allows us to tap into that powerful well of creativity and joy without asking for perfection in action. They teach us to show up fully at the right moment to give our all and then detach with love so we can keep on creating, actioning, living fully and powerfully. Self-discipline, self-study, and devotion (or Tapas, Svadhyaya and Ishvar Pranidhana) are a subset of personal observances that, when combined, form the foundation of Karma Yoga. And this yoga of self-less action helps us align powerfully to meaningful action, which by the way every faith speaks to.
We don’t do the work for likes, shares and comments. We do the work because we seek to make a change and a contribution. Let’s focus on our contributions instead. Our own unique rendition of Karma Yoga.
“If the Final Hour comes while you have a shoot of a plant in your hands and it is possible to plant it before the Hour comes, you should plant it.” ― Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)
Hi friends, I’m taking a brief pause and will post again on June 21. See you soon!
