Welcome to the Karma Yoga Tool Box

In this section you will find yoga philosophy, stories, explanations, concepts and

Sanskrit words you can refer to and add to the yoga tool box of your mind. 

It will grow as we grow, with patience and faith.

About Yoga

Yoga is not a religious or spiritual practice. Yoga is a means to self discovery. 

Yoga by simple definition means union. A union between mind, body and breath

 to achieve focus without distraction. Yoga is a science, it guides the student through

the inner workings of ourselves with exercise and breathing. Through yoga we identify patterns

and habits within ourselves and learn and unlearn through repetition and practice.

Yoga is not meant to be comfortable, finding comfort while moving our body

through movements with our breath, concentration and refinement is part of the

process in revealing the inner workings of our minds. A yoga pose over time

can assist in brining our disruptive patterns and habits to the surface and find new ways

to cope with whatever personal physical or emotional challenge is before us.

At times we create our own suffering with negative and 

 unproductive personal narratives that with consistent practice, overtime yoga, can 

help transform into a more productive and positive narrative or at the very least 

cultivate personal responsibility and awareness and adjust accordingly.

Yoga is for EVERY PERSON and EVERY BODY. 

If you can breathe you can practice yoga.

 If you can sit in a chair and lift your arms over your head you

can practice yoga.

 If you’re “not flexible” you can still practice yoga. 

Yoga meets us where we are at every stage of life. There is a practice for everyone. 

This is easier to achieve in individual classes or private sessions but can also be attained through group

and public classes as well because after all being amongst the community is 

inspiring and empowers everyone participating in a group class. 

Yoga is not all serious either, the concepts and teachings can be delivered in a

playful and light hearted manner which in Sanskrit is referred to as “lila” or divine

play. Often my classes end up being a lot of divine play because I like to have fun

in the classes I teach and after all, much of life is quite serious and it is important to keep

a childlike spirit alive and well within us. The child like spirit keeps us curious,

inspired, playful and open hearted ready to receive all the experiences and

challenges life offers us to grow and adapt in it's ever-changing landscape.

Although, yoga is not a religious or spiritual practice, you might have a spiritual awakening

while practicing yoga, it just happens.

Karma Yoga is one of the Four Yoga-s. The four yoga-s are:

Jnana Yoga - The yoga of knowledge, where a student attains realization by dedicated

study learning all the sacred texts and ancient scriptures.  

Raja Yoga - Considered the Royal Yoga or the yoga of Kings. Raj means King. This

type of yoga incorporates Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, 

Ashtanga Yoga also known as the Eight Limbs of Yoga 

which will be thematically woven into our classes so students can learn

philosophy of yoga. Raja Yoga incorporates the movement, exercises, asana-s as a

means to develop healthy daily habits that cultivate strength, inner and outer awareness,

stamina, use pranayama or breath work and mantra practices and focus to direct their attention,

be still and meditate. This form of yoga is the most widely practiced in our

communities and all over the world. 

Bhakti Yoga - Is a spiritual practice by way of love and devotion in hopes to

achieve oneness with the divine or God. Bhakti yogis, study ancient texts, mediate

and sing devotional mantra-s to various deities. This practice is a beautiful way to

bring people together by way of singing and dancing and celebrating life. A more

modern thought of Bhakti Yoga is a way of seeking unconditional love for everyone

and everything by way of song. It really is quite beautiful to come and be part of

the singing in each others company saying the names and making the sounds

which is just another way to control the noise of the mind while connecting to the

divinity within us all. Kirtan is where we will gather, chant and sing the names

together. Mantra translates to mind protector. Man- (mind) Tra- (to protect).

Lastly, there is Karma Yoga and the inspiration for our name which means:

 a path to peace through action. 

It is the principle of cause and effect, 

where a person’s actions and intent influence their future.

Karma Yoga is discussed throughout the Bhagavad Gita, an epic story within a

story that is a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna in the middle of a

battlefield. Krishna is the all knowing divine source of everything and

he appears to Arjuna a young Prince battling for a throne and the opposing force

who he is fighting against on the other side is his family. Arjuna is so heartsick and

morally torn in deciding what choice to make because he is about to go to war on a

battlefield with family and people he’s known his whole life. He is struggling with

the choice and looks to Krishna for advice. Throughout the story Karma and 

right action is talked about and the cause and effect of our actions. 

A quote towards the end of the story always sticks out in my mind, and it’s in Chapter 12 verse 12:

“Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice. 

Better than knowledge is meditation. 

But better still is surrender to attachment of results, 

because there follows immediate peace.”

 In other words do all things and action with love, because you want to, not because you are

expecting something in return. Don’t base your actions on an expected reaction of

someone else because you will never find contentment. Unfortunately people

don’t always perform the way we desire and that’s ok, they are only meeting you at

their level of perception and that is often not the same as yours. Let people do

them and you do you with love and dedication and one day with continuous effort

and practice we will all be at peace, I pray. 

Om Shanti, Shanti Shanti - Peace Peace Peace

Ashtanga Yoga or Eight Limbs of Yoga 

Not the asana system of vinyasa yoga developed by Pattabhi Jois

 but the Yoga Sutra-s written by Patanjali

1. Yama - Social and moral codes that guide our actions and interactions with others. There are five yamas:

ahimsa - non-violence, promote compassion and love, in thought, word or action

satya - truthfulness, with oneself and with others, in thought, word and action

asteya - non-stealing, give rather than take, including time.

bramacharya - modern world defines this as self restraint and moderation

ancient world describes this as abstinence

aparigraha - non-greed, non-possessiveness - take only what's needed, eat until full, give things away

2. Niyama - a set of rules or guideline that  focus on how to treat oneself. There are five niyamas:

In loving service, Karma Yoga.

More to come...