THE YOGA OF WORK

I have been meaning to share some words that I wrote in my journal as I was contemplating becoming involved in Balanced Rock. I was inspired by an article in Yoga + Joyful Living written by Eknath Easwaran.


THE YOGA OF WORK
As I enter into my "work" with Balanced Rock, the message of the Bhagavad Gita is important and was the driving force for Gandhi who mastered the art of joyful work. The Gita is a call to action on the battlefield of life...the human heart as told to Arguna by Krishna. There are many opportunities for selfless service where we can offer our time, energy, skills and enthusiasm to a cause bigger than ourselves. Life is for giving....a trust and I am a trustee whose job is to use the assets entrusted to me for the greatest benefit of all. All work develops in phases. Not being anxious about the results means that when fortune smiles on you, when success comes, you don't get excited; you just say thank you. Yoga is "even-ness of mind". In practice, we have to admit that even with selfless work, we have some private motive. But if we practice meditation and spiritual disciplines, our private, selfish motives become less and less. We are where we are, doing what we are doing, because we have something to learn from that particular context. What and who I am--what I have thought, done, and desired--has brought me to this job and co-workers, and that makes it just the situation I need to grow. Don't ask if you like the work, if it's creative, if it always offers something new....ask if you are part of work that benefits people. This becomes worship. ALL LIFE IS YOGA.

written by Sharon Bluhm, Balanced Rock Board Member