4 Paths of Yoga: Karma

In the Bhagavad Gita Shri Krishna said: “Do your duty without the concern to the fruit of it”. The word “Karma” means action, so Karma Yoga is the Yoga of action or duty. Krishna taught Karma Yoga to his disciple, Arjuna. The essence of his Karma Yoga teachings was that one must participate in the world, performing their proper activities without attachments to the outcome (positive or negative) while all the while devoting themselves to the path of union with the Divine.

It can be also defined as ‘Doing your duty at your best without any involvement of ego or attachment’. Attachment to the outcome of one’s actions is said to bring suffering, particularly when something is expected in return. In order to truly practice Karma Yoga, the practitioner must act with no expectations and serve others without thinking of the results.

Karma Yoga diminishes the ego and helps to dissolve any sense of separation between self and other. Acting in this way is believed to purify the mind, and it is considered the most virtuous approach to service.

While Karma Yoga can mean a lot of different things to different people, the general idea is to take the philosophy of yoga and put it into action. This means stepping off of the mat and into the world. It means humbling your ego, serving your community, and being part of something bigger than yourself.

There are many ways to embrace Karma Yoga in your life. Whether it’s giving a neighbor a helping hand or engaging in charity work, the opportunities are endless. When it comes to Karma Yoga, it is important that the service comes from a selfless place. Karma Yoga can also be applied within our chosen work. Through yoga and meditation practice, we learn to stay equanimous, especially towards success or failure. Neither will throw us off balance and we cultivate neither too much desire for success nor too much aversion towards failure. We remain unattached to the outcome of our actions within our work. That doesn’t mean carelessness, it just means that we do our duties with due diligence and regardless of the result, we can stay balanced and grounded.