How To Be a Yogi in the World — Defining Karma Yoga: Marta
‘How To Be a Yogi in the World’ is a series of interviews with Karma Yogis, practitioners of the path of selfless service. The objective? To shed light on Karma Yoga, the spiritual path of action, for interested readers as well as new and seasoned yogis alike. As the path prescribed for those living in the world (read: all of us) by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita—an ancient Yogic and Hindu Scripture—Karma Yoga is a complete spiritual path in its own right. The practice and contemplation of Karma Yoga deserves our time and attention.
Everyone can and should be a Karma Yogi.
This series is without beginning or end; if you would like to contribute, please email your answers to the questions below to angelika@7ygh.com
Pictured: Marta telling stories to children while serving as the head teacher for the Family Yoga Holiday Program at Sivananda ashram in the Bahamas, 2022.
What is your definition of Karma Yoga and its benefits?
From my perspective, Karma Yoga entails engaging in actions that need to be done while dedicating one's full effort, yet remaining detached from any expectations or desires for recognition. It involves performing tasks in a manner that brings joy, with the work itself being the ultimate reward. To illustrate this concept, I often draw a parallel with raising children. Just like parenting, Karma Yoga is about fulfilling your duty and honor, rather than considering it a mere chore. You don't expect gratitude or specific behavior from your children solely because you gave them life or devoted time and effort to their upbringing. Instead, you strive to provide them with the best you can offer and then let go, observing their journey while acknowledging the limits of your role. While you can certainly appreciate their accomplishments or empathize with their struggles, you don't seek credit or assign blame to yourself. In my view, Karma Yoga serves as a powerful practice for purifying the mind and pacifying the ego.
How often do you engage in Karma Yoga?
I practice Karma Yoga daily! I was first introduced to the concept during my children's yoga teacher training at the Sivananda Yoga Ranch in Catskills. As part of my Karma Yoga, I took on the responsibility of cleaning all the toilets in one of the buildings. It was emphasized to us that Karma Yoga is not just a mundane task but a spiritual practice, and I found great fulfillment in doing it. The experience taught me to appreciate every opportunity for selfless service, and it had a profound impact on my life. Personally, I consider Karma Yoga to be the most transformative practice among all the yogic disciplines. It provides an incredible opportunity to observe and examine my own mind and actions. Despite thinking that I am performing selfless acts, I often catch glimpses of my ego through my reactions to how others receive my actions or my difficulty in detaching from the outcomes. However, it's an exciting process to witness and continually practice, allowing me to grow and evolve.
What is a memorable Karma Yoga experience and what did you learn from it?
One memorable Karma Yoga experience for me was when my husband and I decided to shift our approach to our construction business and embrace it as Karma Yoga. Running a construction company can be incredibly challenging and stressful, with numerous potential setbacks such as unpredictable weather, material issues, human errors, and clients who are never satisfied, despite our best efforts. We reached a point where we contemplated giving up and opening a yoga studio instead. However, we had a realization that if we didn't change ourselves internally, we would likely encounter similar problems no matter what path we pursued.
That's when we made the conscious decision to approach our business as Karma Yoga. We began to prioritize leaving our egos behind and recognizing the divine presence in our clients, employees, and ourselves. By shifting our mindset, the dynamics of our business began to transform. We committed ourselves to doing the best we could with a genuine attitude of service. Whenever mistakes were made, we humbly took responsibility for them. And even in situations where we knew we had given our all and still faced an unhappy client (which rarely occurred), we had the awareness to understand that their dissatisfaction was not our personal problem. We recognized that we didn't have access to the full picture, and there could be various factors influencing their perspective.
This experience taught us the power of approaching our work with a selfless mindset, seeing it as an opportunity for service. By detaching ourselves from the outcomes and focusing on doing our best, we were able to navigate challenges more effectively and find a sense of peace within ourselves. It was a profound lesson in letting go of personal attachment and trusting in the bigger picture, ultimately enhancing our business and personal growth.
What were your biggest misconceptions about Karma Yoga?
When it comes to misconceptions about Karma Yoga, I have been fortunate to have received a clear explanation of the concept early on and had the opportunity to practice it. However, I still acknowledge that my understanding might not be perfect. As I interpret it, Karma Yoga involves performing actions without generating new karma. This means doing my best while letting go of attachment to the outcomes.
One common misconception is that Karma Yoga only applies to actions done without financial compensation. Some people believe that if you receive payment or have your expenses covered, it cannot be considered Karma Yoga. However, I've come to realize that it's not about the monetary aspect but rather the mindset and intention behind the action. The same action in the same place can be either Karma Yoga or community service with benefits, depending on one's approach and the presence of ego. It's about how I feel about it at the end of the day and the level of attachment I have towards the results.
Every morning, I make it a practice to offer my actions to God and release my attachment to the fruits of those actions. While it helps, I admit that it's an ongoing process and doesn't always work flawlessly. I often catch myself desiring specific outcomes and feeling unhappy when things don't go according to my expectations. In those moments, I find it beneficial to remind myself that I don't truly know what is ultimately good or bad. Throughout my 48 years of life, I have never encountered a challenging situation that didn't lead to something positive in the end. Therefore, letting go of attachment to results is not just spiritually beneficial but also mentally and emotionally healthier.
I hope this response addresses your question, and as the classics say, "I did my level best." 😉
If you could give yourself one piece of advice regarding Karma Yoga, what would it be?
If I could offer myself one piece of advice regarding Karma Yoga, it would be: "Que sera sera!" Do your best and trust that since you are performing actions for the Divine, they will unfold as they are meant to. Just like the heart, lungs, and other organs in our body, they do their respective functions without seeking credit or having expectations. They don't blame each other for contributing more or less; instead, they work together for the benefit of the whole system. Similarly, in Karma Yoga, embody the qualities of the liver, lungs, and heart – selflessly serving and contributing without attachment or expectation. Trust in the divine orchestration of outcomes and embrace the flow of life.