Walking the Walk… Karma Yoga in Action
So here I am… the new interim president of the Yoga Academy of North America. How did this happen? How does it all happen?
One day I am a mom of three, married, living the middle class “American dream”. And now I am a single, empty nester living on my own, traveling to India annually, alternating my given name with my spiritual name and helping to serve my spiritual tradition by trying to foster the Satyananda yoga community in North America.
How did this start?
I began traveling to India in 2010. A group of newly graduated yoga teachers from Baltimore including myself wanted to delve deeper into our spiritual practices by experiencing ashram life. We spent five and a half weeks in the ashrams of Rikhiapeeth and Munger learning how to live simply, serve others and not use our left hands when eating (lol).
Although we learned some very high-level meditation practices like prana vidya and ajapa dharana, the most profound practice for me was the practice of karma yoga - the yoga of action, being present to the movements of my own mind in all interactions of my day. No matter what activity I was doing from practicing in the sadhana hall to cleaning toilets (and I did a LOT of toilets), watching my likes, dislikes, desires, aversions, distractions and attachments became my own internal soap opera.
It became obvious to me how important the practice of karma yoga would be for me to become a more balanced and happier version of myself by observing my mental conditionings and reactions.
Through this self-reflection I was able to let go of many fears and anxieties realizing that these came from my own patterns of thinking and were not necessarily real or true. Through a stronger faith that I had a greater source within to handle challenges and remain calm during the storms of life, I began to tap into a greater sense of happiness and contentment.
Each year that I traveled to India, I was inspired by the community of like-minded individuals I met, all with their own fears, problems, idiosyncrasies, yet still working to find that deeper source of contentment and happiness that is there under all the life “stuff”.
2nd chapter
Last October I attended the month-long Progressive Yoga Vidya 2 Training course with Swami Niranjan. The progressive courses are about going deeper into the yoga vidya, the wisdom derived from the original yogic scriptures which is best learned through our own experience of the practices. This wisdom is not about standing on your head or breathing in a specific manner. It is about practicing happiness and positivity in all situations. These courses are not about becoming better teachers, but about becoming better students of life, our own lives. This new “2nd Chapter” of Satyananda/Bihar yoga is less about spreading yoga from door to door and now more about living yoga from moment to moment!
Swami Niranjan said that through our own growth and evolution, finding balance in all situations and approaching others and life from a place of greater happiness, we will become the inspiration that is needed to transform our communities and the ecology. Awareness of how we show up, serve others and take care of our communities and the earth are of the utmost importance in order to transform societies ruled by fear, materialism and destructiveness. Positivity, fellowship and dedication are the qualities being cultivated in this new chapter.
My new chapter…
Once again life has thrown another challenge my way. Due to unplanned circumstances, I have now taken on the presidency of the Yoga Academy board of directors. I have decided to take this position in the spirit of continuing my practice of karma yoga. This position gives me the opportunity to face my fears, challenge my skills and serve a tradition that has been so transformative in my own life.
And I am excited to be a part of the new changes in the Yoga Academy of North America. We will be launching a new website and expanding our online opportunities to educate, serve and transform all with the hopes of broadening our connections with others who wish to grow with us.
The last few years have been a time of profound change and a continual opportunity to observe my actions, reactions, mental machinations, and let go of it all. I am so grateful for these life lessons and my ability to use my karma yoga to serve others, the Satyananda yoga community in North America and myself. I would love it if you joined me on this journey of fellowship!
Become a member of the Yoga Academy of North America here.
Blog post by Shambhavi (Alden Caldwell)