You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Karma Yoga’ tag.
The winter solstice is upon us when, in the Northern Hemisphere, the shorter days and chilly temperatures naturally draw us indoors. But the celestial energies also draw us inward, inside ourselves, inviting contemplation and introspection at year’s end. It is an opportunity to take inventory on our lives: How has the year been for us? Is there place in my life that feels wonky and out of balance? What do I need to change in the new year to bring it more into balance?
Grace descends in a special way this time of year, also. Her blessings of transcendent effulgent light uplift us, touching and opening our hearts. We are instinctively drawn to reaching out to others and sharing our love. Love is a unifying force; it is the glue that unites the two – the split off, the separate. It is the light that contains the shadow, illuminating its deception. So in the face of the extreme negativity and polarization we are experiencing in the world at this time, this solstice window becomes a potent opportunity to foster unity by embracing love.
The love that we find in the open heart also very naturally invites the acts of giving and receiving which, unfortunately, this time of year have become burdened by expectation and consumerism; however, our giving can be transformed when we practice the spirit of Karma Yoga. Selfless action and giving without thought of reward, is our noble intention here. It is the highest aspect of the heart and of action in the world.
When we give of our resources without self interest, whether it is through money, a material gift, our talents and expertise, or if we simply reach out in compassion to someone in need, our hearts rejoice and expand and we connect to a field of universal love and abundance. We bypass the dual nature of the limited ego-mind with its belief in lack and scarcity, its neediness and attachments, and we enter the domain of divine love, flow and the source of unlimited supply. We become emissaries of the divine, spreading wealth and blessings on her behalf. Then giving becomes our joy, and the more we give the more we want to give!
Let the spirit of Karma Yoga guide your giving and your actions now and always. The love and joy you discover there will grow your heart and bless your life, casting light wherever there is darkness into the new year and beyond.
The subject of money comes up a lot with individuals I work with…. there never seems to be enough of it! But the truth is the Universe is the source of unlimited supply! Oneness is all there is – one unified field of consciousness that gives rise to all creation. Love, light and abundance naturally flow from this Oneness, and money in this world is simply a tangible, material representation of this flow. It is also true that our conditioned beliefs around money block its flow into our lives.
How many times have you heard there is never enough to go around, or every man for himself? If you believe that these statement are true – if you believe in lack – lack is what you will manifest. Instead, what if you were to believe there is plenty for everyone, and when I choose to help others less fortunate than I, my selfless actions are a win-win?
Our negative and limiting belief systems about money come from egoic consciousness, or the consciousness of separation, which is illusory, and as such, can be processed and cleared. Even better we can fast-track the purification of the ego/mind though direct action, bringing immediate benefit to our lives and the lives of others. This practice is called Karma Yoga, or the act of giving without thought of reward.
When we share what we have, whether it is our money, our talents and expertise, or if we simply reach out in some way to someone in need, our hearts open. Beautiful and uplifting in itself, but in the open heart we actually open to a flow of abundance from the Universe. And when we give selflessly, with no thought of reward, the purity of this gesture amplifies its potency.
With the inward drawing energies of the fall and winter season upon us now, we are afforded the opportunity to grow on this area. As the days grow shorter we are naturally drawn together with family and friends to celebrate the holiday season. Spirit calls us into our hearts to commune, to share, and to give, and in our giving we have the perfect opportunity to practice Karma Yoga.
By opening our hearts to others though the practice of selfless giving we increase the spiritual power of even the simplest of benevolent acts. We create a win-win with blessings all around!
I had a Skype conversation with someone recently who shared this:
“I’ve been out of work for some time and I’ve looked and looked for a job, but, so far – no luck. I’m starting to feel frustrated and to get down on myself. Feelings of worthlessness are coming up. If I were to win the lottery, I’d be a happy man right now.”
Here is my response:
I recommend Karma Yoga. There have been times in my own life when I was at an impasse with my employment, and each time when I practiced Karma yoga, or the yoga of selfless service, my situation shifted, doors opened and opportunities presented themselves. When we are out of work it is easy to become me focused, self-absorbed, and obsessed with solving our problem; then, the negative ego rises up to take charge of our emotions.
Spiritual Truth: The evolutionary impulse of the Universe is to support us.
But our obsessive inward focusing energy is contracting and blocks this flow. When we do selfless service, we shift our excessive inner focus to the welfare of others, we open our hearts, and and the Universe responds by supporting us. The love that we begin to access changes everything because this love is what charges the Unified Field – our shared higher consciousness – and the source of infinite possibilities!
Selfless Giving (giving without thought of reward), whether it is of our time, our knowledge and expertise, or of our money, opens a flow of abundance into our lives. Paradoxically, when we give, rather than creating a loss of some kind, we open up a space that the Universe is poised to fill. Grace and blessings, naturally and inevitably, flow into our lives.
Once, when I was out of work and with time on my hands I decided to do some volunteer work in the public schools. I was placed in a 1st Grade classroom to support a teacher who was feeling overwhelmed. After two days a visiting teacher took notice and offered me a part-time job (and one that payed!) working one-on-one with at-risk kids at several schools. This job led to another, then another when I happily landed a position as a full-time elementary school counselor.
Another time, while working in this position and feeling grateful for all that had come my way in life, I was inspired to donate some time to the community by volunteering to help prepare and package meals for the homebound. Shortly after, I was bestowed by my spiritual teacher the honor of teaching some on-line courses for CoreLight, which was the next step in my spiritual growth.
Selfless giving is a shortcut out the ego. It takes us away from our pain, our perceived troubles and our feelings of worthlessness, and cultivates the heart. When we are in our hearts feelings of well-being, gratitude, trust and faith, harmony, and unconditional love naturally arise in us and begin to grow. We are in a state of flow with the Universe, and in that flow everything we need comes to us.
Stuck? Out of work? Relax, do some Karma Yoga, open your heart, feel the love, and see how the Universe supports you. It’s a win-win with riches no lottery can touch!
embracingOneness Blog 