The Karma Yogi Project
Karma, according to the Yoga Teachings means the service of action we have daily opportunity to fulfill. Our chance to be of service to others is presented in various ways - it involves sacrifice of the needs of self in many instances. It is a spiritual path we can choose to take on the road to enlightenment. The most difficult part of understanding Karma and carrying it out in the pure form, as it is intended in the yogic philosophy is not being attached to the outcome.
To me, Karma means the energy we put forth into helping others on the long journey home. That can be lending an arm of support when someone grows weary, allowing a car to turn in front of you at the intersection or making dinner for someone else, even when you are super tired and would rather order out. It can include (and has included) times when I have to take my mother in law for a walk on a nice day (or not so nice day - inside a mall) or times when I bring her her medicine. In the instances where I carry out an act of Karma for her - I really have to detach from the outcome, as mentioned above, mostly because she won't recall twenty minutes after it ends that it even happened. Whatever cheering up I do for her is temporary at best.
Thankfully, during the course of my teacher training, I taught yoga to a group of seven women ranging in age from 75 to 24. For these women, the outcome was a little more lasting. Several of the practitioners had never practiced yoga before and many had just a cursory knowledge of the practice. Each one approached the experience with an enthusiasm and willingness that was at once humbling and touching. Not pictured is my dear mother - who was the eldest participant in our project.
In general terms, each of the seven women had a positive experience practicing yoga in my sister's living room. From one session to the next, there was an increased familiarity with the poses and what was expected of them throughout the class. One of my yogis - of advanced age (she knows who she is) - did what her body allowed her to do, and took advantage of a nearby couch when she felt the need. This demonstrated a keen ability to listen to her body and act accordingly. That's her in the enter of the room on the mat with a pattern. Go Mom!
Another one of my yogis has a hearing impairment, but she approached the experience with an awareness of what this different ability could teach me and her in the process. After learning she was differently able, I made special effort to see that she was in a place in the room where she could see me demo the poses and watch the other yogis in the room for what to do next. I wish only that I had a way to make the portion of the class, where I invite them to close their eyes, more accessible to those among us who may not hear as well.
It was definitely worth the hour I drove to Middletown, NJ three Friday afternoons in a row to teach these women. Each time I arrived, the women were raring to go - even rearranging mom taxi duties and other plans to make sure they could be there. I am so very grateful to each and every one of them for taking an hour out of their Friday afternoon to practice with me.
By the third class, I managed to teach the whole sequence, whereas the first two times, I left portions off for time. I was teaching slowly - to make sure they were all safe and knew what to do. I was also breaking down poses to help them feel them more in their bodies.
I gained confidence in teaching the sequence we as a class have been taught - of course, the first time I went through it, I made mistakes. I learned the valuable lesson of humility and the ability to laugh at myself for saying knee when I meant foot or right when I meant left. More importantly, I learned the value of women in fellowship. How wonderfully women can stand up for one another, support one another and really be each other's best cheerleader.
I am so very grateful to my sister for letting me transform her living room into a yoga studio, three Fridays in a row. She joked that it was worth it because it forced her to clean her floors more often. In addition to clean floors, we also got to see each other more often, which is always a plus in my book.
I would love to teach them on a regular basis - we'll see if it can happen in the future. They all seemed willing to have me teach them again.
To provide myself with a studio experience I also set up two classes at the yoga studio in Clifton where I practice. In total, I taught five Karma yogi classes. The studio surroundings helped me get into the feeling of really teaching and treat the hour as a real class. I am so glad I did this on top of the living room yoga experience. Those yogis included friends and family - all of whom called the class a challenging but accessible experience. I got compliments from both karma yogi groups in the form of questions about when the next class would be held.
This experience helped me see what it would be like to teach yoga. I am so happy and grateful that I actually enjoyed it. I had a small fear way deep in my heart that I would not like teaching. Happy to report that is definitely NOT the case. I loved teaching yoga - sharing the power of asana as a way to harness the mind and strengthen the body.
To me, Karma means the energy we put forth into helping others on the long journey home. That can be lending an arm of support when someone grows weary, allowing a car to turn in front of you at the intersection or making dinner for someone else, even when you are super tired and would rather order out. It can include (and has included) times when I have to take my mother in law for a walk on a nice day (or not so nice day - inside a mall) or times when I bring her her medicine. In the instances where I carry out an act of Karma for her - I really have to detach from the outcome, as mentioned above, mostly because she won't recall twenty minutes after it ends that it even happened. Whatever cheering up I do for her is temporary at best.
Thankfully, during the course of my teacher training, I taught yoga to a group of seven women ranging in age from 75 to 24. For these women, the outcome was a little more lasting. Several of the practitioners had never practiced yoga before and many had just a cursory knowledge of the practice. Each one approached the experience with an enthusiasm and willingness that was at once humbling and touching. Not pictured is my dear mother - who was the eldest participant in our project.
By the third class, I managed to teach the whole sequence, whereas the first two times, I left portions off for time. I was teaching slowly - to make sure they were all safe and knew what to do. I was also breaking down poses to help them feel them more in their bodies.
I gained confidence in teaching the sequence we as a class have been taught - of course, the first time I went through it, I made mistakes. I learned the valuable lesson of humility and the ability to laugh at myself for saying knee when I meant foot or right when I meant left. More importantly, I learned the value of women in fellowship. How wonderfully women can stand up for one another, support one another and really be each other's best cheerleader.
I am so very grateful to my sister for letting me transform her living room into a yoga studio, three Fridays in a row. She joked that it was worth it because it forced her to clean her floors more often. In addition to clean floors, we also got to see each other more often, which is always a plus in my book.
I would love to teach them on a regular basis - we'll see if it can happen in the future. They all seemed willing to have me teach them again.
To provide myself with a studio experience I also set up two classes at the yoga studio in Clifton where I practice. In total, I taught five Karma yogi classes. The studio surroundings helped me get into the feeling of really teaching and treat the hour as a real class. I am so glad I did this on top of the living room yoga experience. Those yogis included friends and family - all of whom called the class a challenging but accessible experience. I got compliments from both karma yogi groups in the form of questions about when the next class would be held.
This experience helped me see what it would be like to teach yoga. I am so happy and grateful that I actually enjoyed it. I had a small fear way deep in my heart that I would not like teaching. Happy to report that is definitely NOT the case. I loved teaching yoga - sharing the power of asana as a way to harness the mind and strengthen the body.
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