In our yoga teacher training coursework, we briefly talk about karma. The concept originates from the same place - and maybe the same people - to where we trace the origins of yoga. It may be one of two unique concepts developed by the hatha practitioners.
Karma: to remain in balance, actions have consequences
It is not too dissimilar to Newton’s third law: Action and Reaction.
Many early practitioners wanted to avoid negative karma from unforeseen consequences far removed from their original actions. Similar to the butterfly effect.
So, they sat still a lot. Some also believed suffering would eventually be rewarded or returned as positive karma.
In the book “Leading Mindfully”, Amanda talks about how we choose to suffer.
“Let me get through this project, just through this month, then I will finally have time to be happy”.
But there is always next month to get through or the next project, disaster, or goal.
So she talks a lot about taking the time just to be happy and finding joy in what we do.
Imagine my surprise when I start my new book “Effortless” - all about efficiently getting things done - thinking I am taking a break from the soft stuff, and it kicks off by hinting that the key to doing things effortlessly is joy. Interestingly, both books spend some time criticising “working harder”. We all believe - and it has been trained into us - that “hard work” will give us what we want and eventually, one day, make us happy. So we suffer through it.
To be clear, neither book suggests that we should not make great effort and strive to accomplish things. Both focus on helping us do exactly that.
Instead, they suggest that by being too fixated on “hard work”, we tend to neglect so much of what makes us happy. Both books - surprisingly even more so in “Effortless” - suggest we must find the joy in what we do and work less, not more. But work differently. And don’t be scared to ask, “How can I do this more easily?”
I simplify for the sake of brevity, but consider that just like sitting still won’t save us from bad things happening, simply working hard won’t magically provide good karma - and happiness - either.
I keep finding it in books, movies and even fantasy novels: Enjoy the journey. The destination comes later. Besides, we don’t know when we will run out of time.
Working hard, or hardly working - Charl
March Updates
Ramadan schedule update
It is almost the time of self-discipline, worship and service. It is also a time when we can gather together and enjoy afternoons and evenings with our families.
To accommodate the celebration of Ramadan, we are moving our evening classes one hour earlier.
From March 11th, evening classes will start at 5 pm and end at 8 pm.
If you have other requests for the schedule, please leave comments at the bottom of the page.
New Workshop and Course Schedule
In a stroke of genius, we thought it would be wise to communicate our schedule of workshops and events with you - our guests.
You can now find a printed copy in the studio. It shows the workshops and events expected within the coming two months, which we refresh every month.
The back will also show any Teacher Training courses we offer.
The Academy website is getting an overhaul to make the information easier to access. You can already find the workshops and their related dates on the workshops page.
What are we reading
As we are often inspired by what we are studying or reading. We share what we are reading to help inspire your reading lists.
With - assuming it is in stock - a link to buy it and read it yourself.
Boys Adrift
Leonard Sax, MD, Phd
Who is reading it: Rosiel
Why: I am a mother of a boy and was recommended to read it.
Why boys show a trend of disengagement, underachievement and a lack of motivation, turning them into underachieving men. It looks at learning styles between girls and boys, endocrine disruptors, video games and social pressure to suppress natural male instincts.
Effortless
Greg McKeown
Who is reading it: Charl
Why: I want to achieve more and worry less
"Effortless shows that achieving more doesn't have to be as hard as we make it out to be". The book is a follow-up on Essentialism and works through personal experience and a lot of research to find easier ways to do our most essential tasks. And not feel guilty if life is easier.
That's it for today
Feel free to provide commentary on our little stories and share your experiences and insights. Conversations work a lot better if both parties take part.
Charl's reading list is a physical list that makes a mess of his desk and is now about 8 books deep, but he is always interested in more books. Drop a comment and recommend one to the crew. I know Laura gave us some good ones already.