Karma yoga is the branch of service and none of us can escape this pathway. The principle of karma yoga is that what we experience today is created by our actions in the past. Being aware of all this, all of our present efforts become a way to consciously create a future that frees us from being bound by negativity and selfishness.
Here I’d like to suggest beginning with a less literal interpretation if the idea of past lives seems a bit “woo-woo”. At the heart of karma yoga is an attention to the interconnectedness of our actions.
We practice karma yoga whenever we perform our work and live our lives in a selfless fashion. It is the path of self-transcending action, rising above our own needs exclusively. Volunteering to serve meals in a soup kitchen is a prime example of selfless service associated with the karma path of yoga.
