I was reading about karma in my Jivamukti Yoga book and came across a suggestion for a practical way to invite good, positive karma into your life. The Buddhist teacher, Geshe Michael Roach, suggests that in order to increase our own good karma, you should reflect on the good karma of others.
If you're unfamiliar with the concept of karma, it's more or less a law of cause and effect. Every single one of your thoughts and actions have a karmic effect that stays with you forever and beyond. It's the law of "what goes around comes around" and it comes with the idea that a person's lot in life has nothing to do with luck, but is a direct effect of their past karmas, whether good or bad. It obviously behooves us to effect good karma in our lives.
Increasing your good karma works like the law of attraction...the more you increase your good karma, the good karma will be attracted to you (this also works for the bad). It's like a karmic magnetic field, of sorts. Geshe Michael Roach's suggestion to increase your good karma seemed like an easy, and logical way to incorporate more good karma into my life, but I wanted to take it one step further. Instead of just reflecting on the good karma of others to myself, why not share it with the world? Then this bubble, this magnetic field of wonderful, yummy karma could permeate the blogosphere too!
Thus, my idea for good karma Fridays was born. A forum for me and my readers to reflect on others' good karma and increase that magnetic field of karma around all of us. Here are my thoughts for the week.
(1) The dad's who coach youth/middle school lacrosse in Strongsville! They are doing their part to instill healthy values in our youth (and create excitement for the best sport!)
(2) Last weekend, Ashley and Nate (or the Cheeses as we like to call them) got married! Mr. and Mrs. Cheese are the people who we get cheese from at the farmer's market and have become good friends of ours. Committing to love each other for the rest of their lives is such a great thing to celebrate!
(3) The policeman who pulled me over for an "improper" left turn after yoga last Friday night...he was doing his job to keep me and other drivers safe on a dark, snowy night.
(4) Friends who let me practice teaching yoga to them. I don't know what else I can even say about this. I'm so incredibly thankful to have such wonderful people in my life.
Okay, your turn! What are some great and selfless things that you've observed other people doing? Take a little time to appreciate and rejoice in them today!
