Now that I have a pretty regular yoga schedule each week I’ve learned what to anticipate with each different teacher I practice with. Monday’s are what I like to call my ‘super yogi’ days as the instructor is very into the whole holistic yogi lifestyle and gets pretty deep in discussing the tenants of yoga and the sutras that it is guided by. She plans each class out ahead of time and gives each one a theme. She also suggests we set an intention for the class that has to do with the sutra she shares with us on that particular day. I really like this because it makes really class very different and challenging in a new way. Plus it gives me something to focus on and consider through each movement and breath.
This past week’s theme was Karma and it really spoke to me. So much so that I thought I’d share some of the insights I walked away with from that class.
After reading a sutra to us that discussed, ‘holding on to karma’ throughout your day, the instructor filled us in that we would be physically ‘holding our karma’ throughout class. What she meant by this was that we would be incorporating a yoga block into all of out movements as a representative of how we should be mindful of and considerate of karma in our daily lives.
So instead of regular downward dogs, we did downward dogs with blocks being squeezed between our legs. Instead of regular warrior poses, we did warriors while trying to balance a block standing straight up on our legs without touching it. We incorporated the blocks into all of our core work too!
As you can imagine, using the block in throughout the entire practice and in these new, unique ways proved to be very difficult. Having another component to focus on and try to manage in addition to your breath, your muscles, and all the feelings in your body during the postures demanded a whole other level of focus and discipline.
But when you think about it, being mindful of karma in your everyday life does much of the same. When you stop to consider how your actions and words affect others as well as the repercussions your actions will have on your own life, you become more aware of your choices. You learn to choose your words carefully, to be kinder to others, and to make decisions that will be more beneficial in the long run.
When we aren’t mindful of karma and aren’t ‘holding our karma’, we make hasty decisions, hurt the people we love, and don’t consider the negative affects we can have on others and ourselves.
Sometimes, life can seem overwhelming. Having so many things to juggle makes us push certain responsibilities to the back burner. But often time these things we choose to neglect (such as being mindful of karma) are the most important things in our lives. Especially karma! By it’s definition it is how our actions, presence, and existence will affect our fate in the future. To me, that should be at the forefront of our everyday thoughts!
Regardless if you believe in karma or not, you have to admit that past actions definitely play a role in our future. So why not strive to become more cognizant when making decisions and think through the potential consequences of your actions before carrying them out?
We could all stand to be a little more mindful in our everyday lives as it is. So I challenge you, try to ‘hold on to your karma’ today. It may seem like an added burden, but just as that block made the yoga poses harder by challenging my muscles, the more you challenge your mind, the stronger it will become. Remember, karma doesn’t come with a punch card. You should always be thinking about doing the right thing because you never know how it will come back to impact you. Choose to act with intention, act with kindness, and act with the future in mind.
Here are some other thoughts on karma that I came across that I really liked…
I’m a true believer in karma. You get what you give, whether it’s bad or good.
– Sandra Bullock
Our life is what our thoughts make it.
– Marcus Aurelius
Karma moves in two directions. If we act virtuously, the seed we plant will result in happiness. If we act nonvirtuously, suffering results.
– Sakyong Mipham
Like gravity, karma is so basic we often don’t even notice it.
– Sakyong Mipham
Our deeds determine us as much as we determine our deeds.
– George Eliot
Act so as to elicit the best in others and thereby in thyself.
– Felix Adler
Do you believe in karma?
Are you aware of karma’s role in your own life?
What’s something that you strive to keep in mind in your day to day life?
[Linking up with TOL today!]
Kaila
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26 responses to “Hold on to Your Karma”
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Very insightful and inspiring post, Kaila. Enjoyed reading it. Thanks for giving me something to think about. 🙂
No problem! Glad you liked it!
Wow! What an interesting lesson during your practice. Sounds like an incredible instructor. Such great things to think about.
She really is incredible!
i do believe in karma to a degree… i think good things happen to good people, but i also think bad things happen to good people which is hard to explain except to think that everything happens for a reason even if we don’t see it at the time
Very true! I’d like to think everything happens for a reason too, but you’re right, sometimes that’s hard to see.
What style of yoga do you do?
Baptiste power yoga!
I really like the idea of karma because I like to think that my thoughts and actions are important and that they do have a true impact on not only my life, but the lives of those around me. I think it would be a fun mental challenge to truly think about how each action in a day could affect your karma. But in the end, I think living by “kindness first” is the best way to make sure I’m proud of the way I’m living.
I love that mantra…’kindness first’. I definitely think if you keep that in mind than your karma is well taken care of. 🙂
I do believe in Karma! Its exactly what you said about past actions playing a role. I try to teach this to my kids. I think a lot of people oversimplify it to make it more understandable. I think this is a nuanced approach. I love what you said “When you stop to consider how your actions and words affect others as well as the repercussions your actions will have on your own life, you become more aware of your choices. ” Really nice post.
Thank you very much Katie!!
Karma is my religion- totally believe it is a boomerang. The love you make is equal to the love you take! Thanks for this lovely post
Love the Beatles reference!! 🙂
I definitely believe in karma. Though bad things can happen at any point, if you ‘give good’ you often ‘receive good.’ Part of it I think is how you feel and interpret everything when you ‘give good.’ It’s kind of a spiritual thing, I think sometimes. 🙂
I agree! It’s all in your interpretation of what life hands you! Thanks for the insight.
In my religion, when don’t really believe (or rather we were told not to believe) in karma although we have a saying “Don’t do unto others what you don’t want others to do unto you.” which in my opinion is like how karma works also.
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Sounds like a powerful lesson— definitely insightful! Thanks for sharing— tomorrow is my yoga day, so I will be thinking about this for sure.
No problem!! Enjoy your practice!!
I definitely think that you receive back whatever energy you’re putting out into the world. I love that your teacher used the prop in such a literal way!
Me too! It really made the message so much stronger!
Kaila, I love your tie in of the yoga block and karma! I DO believe in Karma 100%, “what comes around goes around” which is then ironic because I always believe that “Murphy’s Law” follows me around. I try and be as positive as possible, but bad/strange things tend to happen to me more often that the usual individual, despite these occurrences, I do not feel I have bad karma, because then wonderful things occur to me, that maybe others would over look, such as someone letting me get ahead of them at Wegmans cause I have less groceries, as a benefit of my good karma. I just rambled a bit, woops 🙂
Rambling is totally okay! I agree, some weird things happen to me too but it makes the good moments and surprises that much better! 🙂
I am a firm believer in karma. Whether someone is spiritual or religious, I think that we all realize that there are consequences to our actions. Great post! Following from #SITSBlogging
Thank you so much Emily! Glad you stopped by!