Selfless Service

I loved the movie "Pay It Forward", where the main theme was if somebody did something for somebody, largely unexpectedly, that they in turn did something for somebody else. That the good deed forward was passed along and paid forward. This idea has the potential to create an infinite flow of outpouring that comes from a selfless place. It becomes truly selfess when it arises from a deeply heart-centered place with no strings attached: with no expectations.



It simply feels good to participate in small random acts of kindness. Those times when as you exit the off-ramp and see a hungry homeless person you give them the banana you didn't eat at lunch; when you let someone with two items go before you at Trader Joe's; when you pay the toll for the car behind you; when you help a senior by reaching for an item on the top shelf. You get the idea. The little things that can restore a sense that people are generally good and generous.



But what if you're in a position to do more? What if the acts of kindness perhaps aren't random or small?



As I begin my year of aiming to raise $20,000 for the Global Seva Challenge to India, as part of Off the Mat, Into the World, I am sitting in a place where I have a voice to do more than my small, random acts of kindness. I have become part of an organized cause where not only my efforts count, but they synergize with others participating in the challenge. Collectively, we become a much bigger voice for bringing awareness and support to an often silenced population.



I take my hat off to the many people that I see in my local community who give so much to others. They are performing their own forms of SEVA (selfless service) and although they may not have any association with yoga, they are living part of the yogic philosophy in doing so.



Stepping into my own practice of seva, I realize that I need to ask for help from others. This is not a natural part of my being as I still possess a piece of that stubborn two year old who says, "I can do it myself!". But what I am coming to realize is that when I ask for help, I can do more. When people offer to be part of my seva team, collectively we turn up the volume on the issue. They in turn participate in their own seva by helping a cause greater than themselves. They begin the process of paying it forward.

This seva challenge IS way bigger than me. It reminds me how much one person can do, but also how much more a conscious collective of people can alter the quality of other peoples lives. As my involvement deepens, I step more and more into my own power. It's an exciting challenge that has ignited my passions and I invite anyone who is seeking to have their own spark ignited to join me.