Karen Watson Reeves demonstrates Mountain Pose at the steps of Jackson House Crisis Intervention. Photo by Fred Padilla
By Karen Watson Reeves
[Contributor’s note: 2025 is the year we celebrate 12 years as The Yoga Place, and this calendar year the setting for each month’s pose will be a business in our town that has exhibited “stay power.”]
My guess is that when most of us think of yoga, we bring to mind the postures, the physical aspect, along with some breathing techniques and quieting of the mind. This indeed is yoga, but only the tip of the iceberg. Ancient yoga philosophies mention several “paths” to reach what was and still is the goal of spiritual liberation. Without getting deep into detail, the four primary paths are:
- Karma – the path of selfless action or work
- Bhakti – the path of complete surrender and love to the ultimate power of God
- Jhana – the path of wisdom, dealing with self-analysis and intellect
- Raja – the path of willpower, dealing with the eight limbs of yoga, and where the asanas (the postures) come into the practice
A regular practitioner will realize that each of the four paths is part of the practice, even when subtly introduced in a class. But our intent with this month’s posture is a focus on Karma yoga. A simple example of practicing Karma yoga is volunteering one’s time and effort with conscious awareness. All efforts can be part of the spiritual journey, becoming a form of prayer.
This month’s posture is simply standing in Mountain Pose with Anjali Mudra. The mudras are hand gestures, and this particular one is most commonly called prayer position. It symbolizes reverence, respect, gratitude, and a sense of unity with self and others. When practiced, it can promote a sense of peace, calmness, and focus. Benefits of this posture and style of yoga include: grounding self; promoting peace and calmness; increasing focus and concentration; opening the heart; relieving stress and anxiety.
Karma yoga (and you don’t even need a yoga mat to practice this style) incorporates volunteerism while teaching us commitment and responsibilities, giving us a sense of accomplishment, thus steering us toward a more fulfilled life.
I promise you have already been practicing Karma yoga, but now you can do so with more intent, as you seek out ways to give to those around you, in our community, and to all people everywhere, without expecting anything in return.
{Jackson House Crisis Intervention, Inc., located at 705 Malvern Avenue, has been operating for 50 years, serving our community by providing lunches, pantry food, clothing, and so much more. You can practice Karma yoga here with monetary donations, as well as giving your time.}
Karen Watson Reeves has called Hot Springs home since 2006. Owner of The Yoga Place, at 301 Whittington Avenue, she became a registered yoga/children’s yoga teacher in 2011. When not on the mat, Karen enjoys the beautiful outdoors of the National Park, especially from her bicycle. Please find more information about her studio and her schedule of classes at www.theyogaplacehs.com.
