Wanting More Than Karma
Karma is a great lesson and has been around for a long time. In Hinduism and Buddhism, it is described as “the total effect of a person’s actions and conduct during the successive phases of the person’s existence, regarded as determining the person’s destiny.” (thefreedictionary.com). When we are kind to others, people around us will be kind to us; similarly, when we are hurtful to people, we will receive the same treatment. In fact, this concept was referred to in the Bible, “You will always reap what you sow!” (Galatians 6:7). I was introduced to the concept of karma when I started taking yoga in 2002.
The physical benefits of yoga are incredible: reduce your stress, increase your flexibility, improve your balance and posture, tone your muscles, increase lubrication to your joints, aid your digestion, boost your energy levels, reduce back pain, assist with sleep difficulties and improve your self-confidence. Now as an instructor, when I hear my yoga students sharing their personal experiences about how stretching helps them, it motivates me to provide modifications to meet each individual’s needs.
The personal attention in my small classes is often what attracts women to Prayers in Motion. Together, we discover something more fulfilling than karma in our personal lives. “Faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.” (The Bible, NLT, 1 Corinthians 13:13). Jesus told us, the most important thing we can do is love God and love others as we love ourselves. (The Bible, NLT, Mark 12:29-31) Mother Teresa encouraged us to, “Do ordinary things with extraordinary love.” (Choices that Change Lives, p 59).
Living in love is a choice we have every day. God’s fascinating promise is, “If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving – large or small – it will be used to measure what is given back to you.” (The Bible, NLT, Luke 6:38) I have found that when I reach out to others with a smile, a phone call, a dinner invitation, etc., I am blessed with new friendships, opportunities and experiences. Another reminder of how to live in love is, “Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.” (The Bible, NLT, Philippians 2:4)
When I started to apply love to those around me – family, friends, strangers and people who are difficult to love – I found a greater joy and peace than I’d experienced while living with a karma approach. Praying for people who have hurt me continues to be difficult. However, forgiveness is necessary in order to experience God’s forgiveness. I am learning to love people even though I hate what they do at times. In doing so, I am learning to love myself.
To love myself is more difficult than it sounds. As women, we are often encouraged to be nurturers but sometimes at the expense of our own health – physical, mental and spiritual. I am learning to say, “NO!” so that I have a balance of work and leisure time, set priorities, eat healthy, maintain a regular workout schedule, establish healthy boundaries with friends and family, and be in a loving and healthy relationship. I make time to read the Bible and other inspirational books, pray and talk with others who challenge and encourage me to live in love.
My goal is to love God, others and myself so that others can experience God’s love through my words and actions. Teaching classes is more than just finding modifications for students who are unable to do a yoga pose; it is my passion to share God’s love with others. As Lewis Carroll said, “One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others.” What comes around definitely goes around but it’s a blessing to know that when we live in love, it returns to us multiplied
Louisa Phillips 2010 |
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