SEVA: SELFLESS SERVICE
The foundation of my yogic practice is Seva, “selfless service.” This means offering your time and energy and not expecting back anything in return. It is like offering a gift to someone without the expectation of getting anything back in return. You offer it for the sheer delight of seeing the person happy. There is a joy I experience offering Seva. I feel useful and I feel as if I am contributing to making the world a better place. You may be saying to yourself, “Ami just said Seva is an offering without expectation of it bearing fruit. She then said you do receive something, feeling useful and happy. Isn’t this a fruit of her labor?” If you asked yourself this question, you are correct. The difference is, not looking for those results but rather doing it out of love.
I volunteer twice a month with two not-for-profit organizations (Holistic Health Community and Health Care is a Human Right) providing holistic health care for free. When I participate in a clinic offering Ayurvedic Wellness Consultations or Marma Therapy I always come home tired but happy. Studies show that helping others helps us to feel more content. [i] The ancient Ayurvedic texts mention this as part of Sattva Vajaya Cikitisa (treatments/therapy for conquering the mind) for mental health issues like depression. Even charity (dana) is considered a rejuvenative behavior therapy (achara rasayana) for mental health disorders.
My Guru, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma) says, “Every day we should make a resolve to do something compassionate: ‘Let anything happen, but today I should do or say something nice. I should do something good. I should not just take. I should do something to help others.’ Each time we act with compassion, our heart expands and the ego in us melts a little. From this, we change. In this manner, eventually our heart becomes completely filled with compassion and the ego dissolves completely. Let us not live just to take. Let us also live to give. It is the moments we spend selflessly serving others that bring real value to our life.”[ii]
An Opportunity for You to Give
With the loss of SNAP and other benefits many people will be going hungry. You can help by donating food to The Living Seed, 521 Main Street, New Paltz. All donations will go to our local food pantry. I put out a blue bin in the entry way where you can leave your donations. If the studio is closed just leave them outside and someone will bring them in. If you want a list of needed items please email me.
Thank you!
[i] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11482-024-10299-9
[ii] https://amma.org/wisdom/wisdom-five-keys/