Taking Action with Karma Yoga

When you read about the history of yoga, you will notice that there are so-called “paths” mentioned everywhere. One of these is the path of action, or karma yoga, embedded deep into the culture of this tradition.

Definition of Karma Yoga

According to Yogapedia, the meaning of karma yoga is “the path of action, or selfless service towards others. It is considered by some that practicing karma yoga is the most effective way to develop spiritually.” In Sanskrit, the name means “deed” or “action.”

However, when we combine this word with “yoga,” the meaning changes into meditative action. This form of yoga is the one path that envelops all the others within it. Connecting your everyday life with the knowledge you have in this area becomes a natural phenomenon thanks to it.

Also, let’s consider the simple fact of the world we live in – do you think it would be possible to become anything without action? No, of course not, and this is exactly why Karma yoga links all other forms together.

Historically Speaking…

In the History of Yoga, we mention the Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Sanskrit text. In it, the four main paths of yoga are mentioned: Karma yoga (the road of action), Bhakti yoga (the road of devotion), Raja yoga (the royal path) and Jnana yoga (the road of knowledge). While these are all interlinked in the ancient tradition, the one that brings the whole gang together is Karma yoga.

And on a Spiritual level…?

Karma yoga is “ a way of bringing awareness, sacredness, and spiritual significance into any moment of our life,” as written by Hridaya Yoga. If you come to think of it on a deeper level, it is a beautiful concept, right? During meditation, our mind enters the ultimate state of peace, that is obvious…

But what about when you do daily things, like simply drinking a glass of water or biking to work? Each action is believed to karmically binding, so once we live by it, everything falls into balance. This type of yoga in Hungary is not so well-known yet. However, there are yoga studios in Budapest where you can find a more spiritual side of yoga.

One of its main teachings is that the ego should completely fade away. There is no space for it in a devoted person’s life. Another thing: we should not consider what goods we are going to get in return (from the other party, or even the universe), because that defeats the purpose. Feelings like hate, jealousy, selfishness or other negative emotions have to cease completely. Only the good ones can stay: love, compassion, truthfulness, tolerance and humility. You accept what comes into your path and do not expect anything in return.

Social Duty and Awareness

At this point, we are deep into yoga theory, but we will go one step further. The two important mindsets of this path: Seva, or social duty and acting out of love. “What are these two about?” You may ask, and the answer lies from one part, giving back to the community, and from the other, reaching deep into our souls for love. Seva is the service we do without thinking of ourselves, for the positive outcome of the people around us.

Volunteering anonymously in any charity, or just helping out someone at one of the best yoga studios in Budapest can also be interpreted as an example of this.

When it comes to acting out of pure love and detachment, you reach the level of understanding that it has to be completely in harmony with our everyday life. If you achieve this level, you will not have to think about doing good. It will come completely naturally to you. You will become aware to how you can help those around you and every one of your actions will be out of love.

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