Maha Karma Yoga Celebration

Sri Dharma Mittra

THE BUZZ: On Friday May 11th 2012, I attended the Maha Karma Yoga Celebration for Sri Dharma Mittra. It was in honor of 45 years of his teaching yoga in New York City, as well as his 73rd birthday. The beautiful new studio on 23rd & 6th was packed with yogis. There was kirtan (music and chanting) and vegan food galore!

The event also kicked off Karma Yoga Month. As Dharma explains:

The difference between regular action where there is always expectation and Karma Yoga is truly the mental attitude. Deep inside in the beginning, there is always a “little string” buried deep within each act that we seek to offer as selfless service. There is always expectation because we are still identified with the body, the mind and the ego. Only after Self-Knowledge becomes more “ripe” in the mind can the ego totally disappear. Then the string is broken. Everything depends more on the mental attitude. Be Good, do Good.

Join the Dharma Yoga New York Center in a month long practice of Karma Yoga from May 12th through June 12th, 2012. Karma Yoga may be practiced in large or small ways, as long as there is no expectation of recognition or a reward. When your heart is pure and you serve and share with others whatever it is they need, this is Karma Yoga.

Ideas on how to serve others and perform acts of kindness each day:

Be attentive wherever you are for opportunities to help someone. Do something nice for someone you don’t know. Spread the word of Karma Yoga. If someone you helped wishes to thank you, ask them to do something nice for three people they don’t know, and then they should ask those three peope to do something nice for three more people. Consciously increase the goodness of the world through selfless service.

Donate to a good cause.

Thank your taxi or bus driver, encourage or praise someone.

Smile at a stranger, help someone across the street or buy a street person lunch.

Share your favorite book, give someone a compliment, make someone’s day. Treat everyone you come across with respect, love and compassion.

Organize free yoga classes, organize events to create environmental awareness and respect for nature, i.e., cleaning expeditions on the weekend to keep a neighborhood or park clean.

Volunteer at a Senior Center.

Help at an Animal Shelter: bring old towels and blankets, walk dogs or help clean, whatever the need is.

Promote vegetarianism. Teach others healthy habits. Cook a meal and invite someone over to share in it.

As Dharma says, “By serving others, we release our ego, and that is a wonderful way to grow spiritually.” Get involved!

Find out more about Dharma Mittra.