In Vedanta, which comes from the same roots as Ayurveda, there are four “yogas” or paths, through which to pursue our spirituality. The word “yoga”comes from the Sanskrit word “yuj” which means “to yoke” or “to unite.”  The practice of yoga helps us to unite with body, mind, and spirit.  For the month of May we are looking at each of the four different yogas.  This is the second:

Karma Yoga is the path of work.  But it is work without attachment to the end result.  Rather than working for a paycheck, it is working as a spiritual offering.  You could also call this the path of service.  The path of Karma Yoga explains that working for external “things” leads us to disappointment, because we can never meet all of our expectations, it is never “enough.”   Instead, when we work as a service to ourselves and to others, we can experience spirit in everything we do.  Vatas, who are so active, and not usually motivated by money, may be drawn to Karma Yoga.

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