On Dharma

Dharma has always been an interesting concept to me. The definition implies living and acting in harmony and alignment both internally and with the universe (Sullivan, 2020), but the work and practice of living in accordance with one’s dharma can feel really inharmonious and challenging at times, as Arjuna experienced in his famed contemplation of battle in The Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna questions the honor of the battle before him but, through counsel and reflection with Krishna, realizes he can not renounce his duties - his nature - as a warrior or man of action (Easwaran, 2007). He must continue to engage with life and the obstacles he is facing, endeavoring on the path of self-realization and discernment between his true self and right actions and the distractions of emotions, the mind, and the senses (Easwaran, 2007). I am inspired by Arjuna and his struggle every time I encounter a seemingly insurmountable battle of my own and my initial reaction is to retreat. Through my own practice of yoga - discipline, self-study, and faith - I have learned to cultivate awareness and notice when I am disengaging because of fear, my ego, or my emotions. I aspire to always recognize the potential for growth, alignment, and harmony when I rise to meet challenges and continue to connect to my true nature. To me, this means appreciating that all experiences, even ones that are difficult, will strengthen my connection to myself and my dharma (Sullivan, 2020). It means I continue to engage with and learn from life’s lessons in order to deepen my connection to myself, my loved ones, and my community.

I first recognized harmonious right action from experiencing the dissonance of trying to stay in an unsupportive job after my son was born. I was torn between pursuing a career in corporate wellness and spending more time at home with my newborn son. Circumstances, difficult decisions, and personal reflection guided me away from the traditional workplace and, ultimately, to my first yoga teacher training, which was meant to simply deepen my practice and allow for some much-needed self-study. Teaching organically evolved from that experience. And, I not only found myself in control of my schedule, but I also felt an immediate connection to working with people directly on their health and wellbeing through the practices of yoga. The process of navigating my ego and my fears was tough, and I experienced a lot of friction at times. But, once that path unfolded, it felt right and aligned with my values of ahimsa, kindness to myself, satya, truthfulness in my speech (especially to myself) and my actions, and santosha, contentment for the things I had and how I chose to work (Desikachar, 1999). I felt present with myself, my family, and my work in service of wellbeing. For the first time, the quote “yoga is skill in action” came to life for me (Easwaran, 2007, p. 85). 

I continued to work for several years, deepening my own practice and continuing to study ways to engage with myself and others on the journey to presence and well-being. I felt aligned with and connected to my dharma. Then, life encouraged my family to move and grow, which definitely shook things up a little. In my new community, a place strongly influenced by title and professional connection, I felt insecure as a yoga teacher. My path began to crumble before my eyes. I tried to reinvent myself with my resume, making 10 years of dedicated yoga teaching relevant to the “real world,” and applying to jobs that really didn’t align with who I was anymore. It felt sad and depressing. I was no longer practicing ahimsa or satya; my inner dialogue was disparaging and untruthful. I no longer felt santosha or contentment for what I had and what I could offer. And, in contrast to the value of aparigraha, I began to feel like I was grasping for the lives and successes of those around me (Desikachar, 1999). Luckily, after a little wallowing, I remembered my yoga practice. Krishna’s wisdom that it is “better to strive in one’s own dharma than to succeed in the dharma of another” re-inspired me (Easwaran, 2007, p. 108). Work, opportunities, and connections to new people seemed to materialize without the struggle and insecurity I was feeling before. 

Cultivating both personal and universal harmony and alignment connects us to our dharma and creates a deep, lasting joy (Easwaran & Nagler, 2007). From steadfast joy comes eudaimonic well-being (Sullivan, 2020). Yoga therapists are in the unique position to help clients connect or reconnect to their own joy and sense of harmony through the self-reflective practices of the yamas and niyamas, pranayama, asana, and meditation (Sullivan, 2020). These powerful tools allow for healthy engagement with life and its myriad of experiences, which illuminates our sense of meaning, our connection to virtues, our own personal alignment, and our harmonious flow with the world around us (Sullivan, 2020). 

Resources: 

Desikachar, T. K. V. (1999). The heart of yoga: Developing a personal practice. Simon and Schuster.

Easwaran, E. (2007). The Bhagavad Gita.  Petaluma, CA: Nilgiri Press.

Easwaran, E., & Nagler, M. N. (2007). The Upanishads. Petaluma, CA: Nilgiri Press.

Sullivan, M. B., & Robertson, L. C. H. (2020). Understanding Yoga Therapy: Applied philosophy and science for health and well-being. Routledge.