Author: yoga shobha

Karma Yoga as Selfless Service

Karma Yoga as Selfless Service

Feb 24, 2015 | , |

“Selfless service is the soap that purifies our mind.” – Amma ‘How can work be purifying?’ We may wonder this while we are immersed in boring, repetitive, stressful or unpleasant duties. The important thing is not the task we perform but our attitude towards it. Action implemented with the right attitude can be transformed into a special form of meditation. Then we can enjoy the peace and joy of a mind truly merged in its actions. We speak about mental impurity as referring to our desires, our likes and dislikes. The more intense the desires, the bigger the mental disturbance....

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Lollipop Hero – Part 2

Lollipop Hero – Part 2

Feb 16, 2015 | , |

Continuation… In a very short time, our beloved Amma got a hold of the story and thought it was the funniest story ever. The Malayalam speaking girls that were staying at Ron’s house told me how Amma was telling everyone at the house about the girl with the lollipop that rescued James the security guard.  I was told She would laugh and laugh telling the story.  I guess Amma was also impressed that I knew karate. Amma’s version of the story was that a girl was casually walking up the trail with a lollipop in her mouth; she saw...

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Real Source of Joy is Within Us – A Visit to Amritapuri Amrita Yoga

Real Source of Joy is Within Us – A Visit to Amritapuri Amrita Yoga

Feb 8, 2015 | , |

This is a story about resolve—how the motivation for doing something can be the most important thing in any action. 2015 started with a New Year Resolution: a trip to Amritapuri for me, and for my husband, a resolve to revive his moribund yoga practice. He signed up for the 4-Day Beginners Foundation Retreat at Amrita Yoga Amritapuri.   I was skeptical that such a short length of instruction would inspire him to practice daily but I was wrong. As I write, he has gone back to his job but gets up every morning to do his Sri Lalitha...

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Lollipop Hero – Part 1

Lollipop Hero – Part 1

Feb 8, 2015 | , |

I was fortunate enough to have met Amma for the first time here in Santa Fe in the summer of 1988. The unfortunate thing was, I was not ready to surrender my ego at Her Lotus Feet. I did not see Amma again for another six years. I believe it took me six years to realize that I am not the doer.  If I want a pure, beautiful life, a beautiful world, to reach the state of realization and perfection, then I need the guidance and grace of a perfect Master. I need Amma.  By God’s grace, I knew...

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Restoring the Lost Balance

Restoring the Lost Balance

Feb 5, 2015 | , |

The InDeed Campaign for Nature is about action. It’s putting Amma’s practical suggestions – the way we use the earth’s remaining resources, and the way we interact with the natural world – into practice. It’s about what we can do now to help restore the lost harmony between humanity and nature. There are six actions each of us can take, based on Amma’s recommendations, to help restore nature’s harmony. Some of them we can do on the weekend. Some of them don’t require any extra effort at all. Through a network of personal commitments and information, we can create...

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