Along with Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga , and Bhakti Yoga , Karma Yoga is one of the four great paths to spiritual realization. It is about the path of action, which must be disinterested, detached from its material benefits, service-oriented and devotion.
Accompanied to explore the principles of Karma Yoga, and how to practice it in our actions of daily life.
What is Karma Yoga?
In simple terms, Karma Yoga is the path to liberation, through an action well done without any expectations . It includes the way of acting of a person from birth to death.
This type of yoga includes a disinterested performance considered as prayer, a means to obtain individual improvement, and to break free from the cycle of reincarnation. It must be done with dedication, love and care, without expecting any fruit or benefit.
This discipline of yoga has many points in common with Buddhism . Both beliefs consider that each action of men must be carried out with altruism, and that the results of acting and the thoughts that we offer to others, return.
Origin of Karma Yoga
This type of yoga is a discipline that is directly inspired by the Bhagavad-Gita, a Sanskrit writing dating from between the fifth and second centuries BC. In it, it is stated that the yogi should act selflessly, renouncing his passions and offering their acts at the service of divinity. It is one of the methods to achieve self-realization, among others proposed, such as Bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion.
As in many other philosophical systems, this Yoga is based on the general understanding of the concepts of Karma and Reincarnation. Hinduism affirms that an individual is born with certain Samskars (Karma), positive and negative, and that they come from past lives that impel the individual to carry out certain tasks in this new life, at the same time that each action, thought and experience leaves behind. one of these "traces" or "impressions", which have an impact on their mental and spiritual structures.
Karma Yoga Principles
According to the principles of this yoga, service should be done without expecting anything in return. This advocates selfless service and such actions provide everlasting peace and happiness. By putting into practice each generous action, without expecting any reward, the being is filled with fullness and freedom.
The purpose of this yoga practice, then, is to achieve mental, physical, and emotional well-being, as well as self-realization. For this, people have the option of living each moment with full awareness. In this context, experiences and practical life are used under principles that serve as a point of support for meditation.
The steps in practice to achieve this well-being are:
1. Seek perfection in actions
It's about focusing on all things and doing the best you can . This yoga does not seek perfectionism, simply the fact of acting according to one's own abilities. In fact, it is the intention that is important and the results can vary greatly from person to person.
2. Separate results into actions
This step means acting without thinking about the results of a task . The person must have confidence in himself and not be afraid or anxious about the results. Also, intentions towards others should not be carried out for personal benefit.
3. Stay focused on the current action
People who practice Karma yoga need to stay focused on doing the things that they do. This means that you need to act consciously and exclude wandering thoughts.
Karma Yoga gives the opportunity to get rid of the consequences of a negative action. It assumes that any action motivated by selfishness, jealousy, anger or fear creates a negative wave. This wave can pollute the mind and take a person away from the main purpose of life, which is well-being and inner peace. Any selfless action, done with altruism and kindness, will develop love, forgiveness, compassion, friendship, etc.
Benefits of Karma Yoga
The benefits of Karma Yoga are mainly felt in mental and emotional health. In fact, Karma Yoga is practiced mainly at the level of thought, but a practice of postures can also be carried out in parallel. These are the results of the benefits.
purifies the soul
Eradicates negative thoughts such as ego, selfishness and hatred
Positive feelings like love, tolerance and humility flourish
selfishness fades away
Creates an impulse to perform good deeds towards others
Clarifies self-awareness and creates well-being
Develops strength and inner spiritual power
Mental clarity improves
Eliminate fears
Concentration is greatly increased
The results allow better management of emotions and stress . Being one of the ways of yoga that leads to consciousness, Karma Yoga promotes spiritual evolution and allows better self-control.
Karma Yoga Practice
Karma Yoga requires learning to meditate . Being meditation the first step to learn Karma Yoga, it is possible later, to be able to naturally access the tasks or favors that must be put into practice in daily life.
The second step is to have the courage to go the right way and do things correctly . The person must be brave enough to face the truth and stick to it while maintaining a balance between society and a firm and true performance.
The evolution in this type of yoga is not an easy task, and not all people who start in Karma Yoga may be able to reach their goal. Therefore, it is essential to have great willpower and full confidence in yourself.
These are some situations of daily life where Karma Yoga is put into practice, but under the principles of this discipline. Some examples are:
Live a life free of negative emotions like anger and hate
be humble as much as possible
Try to always be a friendly and sociable person
Believing in reincarnation is at the heart of Karma Yoga practice and belief. This is related to the fact that thoughts and deeds return to each person, whether they are good or bad.
Spend time with others and help them as much as possible. Material objects, on the other hand, are enemies of Karma, therefore, only those necessary or basic for life should be considered.
Living a life of detachment is the most difficult stage of Karma Yoga. Most people never reach a life of complete detachment because it involves actions regardless of the results.
Act as if you are an instrument of the universe and a great power and trust in what Karma Yoga can bring to life.
The meaning of helping others in this world where selfishness prevails is an achievement in itself. Therefore, Karma Yoga is the right guide that can help with the cause in a selfless and harmonious way. If every single person would practice Karma Yoga, the world would become a better place to live in, so welcome to this wonderful practice of Karma Yoga .
