Yoga and the Art of Selfless Service

A moment of true magic at Acadia National Park. (photo by Ed Gonzalez)

Lately I’ve been contemplating how yoga can be a pathway towards serving the world in a selfless way. When we are practicing on our own individual yoga mat or meditation cushion, how is that really serving others? Sometimes it can almost feel like a luxury, almost feel selfish to take the time to care for ourselves in this manner. But like other activities we may undertake for the purpose of self-nourishment and self-rejuvenation – like taking a warm bath or going on an Artist Date – yoga practice can help us create a buffer between ourselves and the problems of the world. It gives us the space to see things in better perspective through a wider lens. It also leads us in the direction of an awareness of a selfless self. Who we may think we are is not truly who we are.

My yoga sequence of the month was inspired by the tale of Hanuman, the Monkey God from the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. One unknown source I found many years ago states: He was devoted to the ideal of selfless service. And, says Neesha Zollinger from Yoga Today, Hanuman was devoted to a life of service ... He found his power within himself and used it for the greater good …. The lesson he teaches us, she says, is to Look within to get greater freedom outside.

Hanuman inspires us to find those talents we were given by God to manifest and develop in our lifetimes on Earth and to use them in ways that help all Beings. If we look into our own hearts, like Hanuman did, we will find what it is that inspires us towards action. And if that inspiration is truly heart-centered we will naturally find ways that our actions can benefit not just ourselves but others around us as well. 

Practicing yoga can be a selfless activity just by the fact that we breathe consciously with awareness According to the master yoga teacher, B.K.S. Iyengar: When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God. When you exhale, it represents the service you are giving to the world. Truly with each conscious and deep inhalation, it does feel like we are receiving a gift. And with each conscious and deep exhalation, the calm that overcomes us is not only a gift to ourselves but also to the people around us. 

Adi Amar from Yoga Today, says: When we learn not to react [to bad situations] all the time, we actually do ourselves and others a great service. In my experience, practicing yoga can help us create a buffer between ourselves and our problems. Recently, several work interactions I encountered left me feeling a little deflated. But with the passage of some time, my daily yoga and meditation practice, I was able to gain some perspective on the situations and figure out ways to handle them better in the future. Had my reactions been dictated by how I was truly feeling in the initial moments of these situations, they would have probably come out more forcefully and explosively and in the end would have served no one well.

Early on in the pandemic, I heard a front-line pandemic nurse say:

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service of others.

Certainly, many frontline workers served the world selflessly. And many even lost their lives. What was undoubtedly gained in all situations was that each found a calling. Each found moments when they heard God’s voice within to serve the world according to the ways that they were uniquely qualified to do. And hopefully, each of them found meaning and purpose in their lives, which is what each of us are all seeking in the end. Perhaps as you continue to “lose yourself” in your yoga practice – meaning as yoga melts deeper into the fabric of your being – you will continue to find meaning and purpose in your life, adding to what you’ve discovered already at whatever stage of life you are in.

I leave with you a hopeful thought:

“At the beginning, mankind and obligation of selfless service were created together. Through selfless service, you will always be fruitful and find the fulfillment of your desires": This is the promise of the Creator.
~Bhagavad Gita 3.10

I can imagine that this is true, as I’ve seen evidence of it in my own 62 years of living on this island planet Earth. Ultimately, I think what we all desire – beyond the material – is a sense of peace, joy, and contentment. I hope that your yoga practice can lead you to a life of selfless service, accompanied by a life filled with feelings of fulfillment.

May you be happy, …
May you be healthy, …
May yoga and meditation help you create buffers, … 
May you always be fruitful and fulfilled, … 
May you lose yourself in selfless service, … 
May you find yourself, … 
For the benefit of ALL beings everywhere.

Aloha, with Metta,
Paul Keoni Chun

Life and Death happening simultaneously in Acadia National Park. (photo by Ed Gonzalez)