When I first heard the mention of three elements that support a spiritual practice, it really resonated a volume of truth. Seva, sadhana, and Satsang, Sanskrit words that are translated as service, personal spiritual practice and the community in which this happens.
A few years ago, I felt as though part of my yoga practice was missing and I began to look for ways in which to serve others (seva). We had returned from our first trip to India and I felt I was being called to do something for those less fortunate. India will do that to you. The country is so completely in your face - poverty, pollution, and a billion people-that you can't help but feel the full force of humanity. It was after our return that I came across an opportunity to step more fully in this direction. Off The Mat, Into The World's Global Seva Challenge for 2012 was addressing the issues surrounding sex trafficking in India. I was immediately interested but completely intimidated at the prospect of a $20,000 fundraising goal.
Coincidentally, around the same time during one of my meditation sessions I had an insight to gather together a group of women that I found personally inspiring. So we sat together on a sunny February afternoon on the lawn in my backyard, where I offered chai and gluten-free cookies. I said to the women "I don't know why we are here today except that I am compelled to ask you two questions. One is, what is it that is sitting on the back-burner of your consciousness that you would like to bring forward. And two, what are you so passionate about? So much so that once you begin talking about it, your friends roll their eyes as if "there she goes again!"
It was one of those beautiful times in our lives where something unexpected blossomed. The women shared their dreams and ideas, some through tears but all held in a circle of love and trust. When they had all spoken, they turned to me and asked, "Well, Jayne, what about you?" I hadn't quite expected to speak, but when I did I said that I had been thinking about signing up for the Global Seva Challenge to raise $20,000. But I was a yoga teacher, not a fundraiser and I had this terrible fear of failing. Their reaction is crystallized in my memory as they placed their hands on my back and said, "You're not alone in this! You've got us!" I signed up for the challenge that night and not only did I raise $20,000 but $28,000 with another $5000 in 2016.
The above story is an illustration of Satsang...a like-minded community offering each other support as they journey into a deeper connection to themselves and others. The wonderful thing about undertaking the Seva challenge was that I got out of my own way with a focus on helping those who had no voice. I was driven by their plight far more than by any need I held for recognition, yet through the process, my own spiritual practice deepened in such a profound way. Seva led me to explore my sadhana and it was a pivotal time in my own journey. And all of this happened with the support of my own local village, my Satsang.
Sadhana is a completely personal exploration of what connects us to the highest sense of ourselves. It can be done through any method, religious or not, individually or in groups. It is holding the intention of seeking something deeper, something to which, at some point in our lives, most of us are called to do. The people and community by which we do this, our Satsang, can play a vital role in this uncovering by offering different experiences and perspectives. When we gather together sharing common intentions, such as bringing our physical body into better balance or finding steadfastness and ease with our minds, we become exponentially more powerful. We begin our individual practices on our own, yet we deepen it within and through community.
So my thought for the week is to ask ourselves a few questions:
- How am I serving others?
- What does my own spiritual practice look like on a daily basis?
- How am I being supported in this journey and how can I support others in theirs?
Seva, sadhana, and Satsang. Service, practice, and community. Compassion, discipline, and support. Whatever you want to call it, you need it, we all need it. Reach out and touch someone...it might just reflect back and touch your own heart in the process.
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