Dear yoga enthusiasts, starting now, we offer public welfare yoga classes. Whether it’s six in the morning or seven in the evening, you can practice synchronously with us through our live broadcast. Book your public welfare yoga class immediately to stretch and strengthen both your body and mind.
Social media today is full of fake influencers. Their stories are fabricated, and they are completely different in front of and behind the camera, some even sell counterfeit goods. Zhao Ling’er and Qu Bu are such a pair. They concocted a romantic story. One day in August 2022, Zhao Ling’er went to the Daliang Mountains and pretended to meet Qu Bu by chance. A staged encounter propelled them to use online platforms to promote agricultural products to increase sales, and with this story, they gained the attention of millions of fans and achieved great success during live stream sales. However, in the end, this influencer couple was exposed for fraud and faced bans and legal penalties.
This phenomenon of influencers is not an isolated case. Some live streamers sell merchandise at unbelievably low prices, which often turns out to be counterfeit. For example, there have been instances where a live-streamer was suddenly arrested by the police during a broadcast. Not only do inappropriate actions by influencers harm consumer rights, even rule-abiding streamers can be affected by the fallout.
Live streaming as a medium is not inherently problematic, such as yoga live streams, which bring the convenience of practicing at home with an instructor and are beneficial for many. Therefore, when facing live stream content, consumers need to make rational judgments and be wary of the temptation of overly low prices—every product has its cost, and unusually low pricing often hides issues. Behaviors that violate moral and social rules will not last, and it is hoped that those influencers who have lost their way will come to their senses in time.
In the teachings of yoga, there are moral principles such as non-violence, honesty, no theft, and no greed. Zhao Ling’er and Qu Bu’s behaviors violated these principles. They not only harmed consumer rights but also damaged the public trust in live sales. They fraudulently sought fame and profit at the expense of consumers’ time, energy, and money. It is worth noting that practicing yoga is not just about learning physical postures, but equally important is the adherence to its ethical standards. Ignoring these principles, the practice of yoga is of no benefit.
Even though most people initially practice yoga for fitness, yoga practice also simultaneously improves one’s karma and overall fortunes. As expressed in the Bhagavad Gita, the physical pain experienced in yoga practice is actually the elimination of negative karma. Therefore, no matter the initial intent of the yoga practitioner, through the experience of physical pain, they will reap additional benefits.
When discussing the profound topic of cause and effect in life, yoga philosophy offers a unique perspective. According to the yoga scriptures, karma is simply the manifestation of the law of cause and effect, with each event being the accumulated result of previous actions. Phenomena in life do not occur in isolation; conversely, the current situation is often rooted in past accumulations.
Our current actions will become the causes of future events. Therefore, we cannot change the past, but we can influence the present and the future. Yoga does not offer an identification with fate, but rather an awakening of awareness. It allows us to more clearly realize our current situation and make wiser choices. Our lives should not be waves that simply follow the trends, but rather moments in which we firmly take control.
Yoga’s teachings help us maintain a clear consciousness and deeply understand how our choices now shape the future. With the lifestyle of yoga, we can always be conscious of our actions and live with awareness. In the “Yoga Sutras,” Patanjali mentioned, “The root of suffering is total ignorance of the truth.” He also said that we could avoid pain that has not yet occurred, which means we still have the opportunity to make choices to avoid the potential pain of the future.
If we act according to the eightfold path of yoga, many sufferings can disappear. Although it’s difficult, consistent practice of yoga makes it easier. Yoga helps us focus our minds on the present and make more genuine choices.
Yoga is also a discipline of life. For most people, just persevering in practicing yoga is challenging, not to mention changing cause and effect through changing choices. However, the decision to start practicing yoga has already influenced the future. Many experienced yoga practitioners have shared their experiences: Regular practice can unconsciously change their thoughts and lifestyles. They no longer like unhealthy diets but prefer fresh food; they no longer prefer staying up late but choose to rest early according to the needs of their body; they no longer indulge in noisy environments and appreciate quietness instead.
You become more aware of your own and others’ behavior, and when faced with contradictions from previous choices, you may even change your social circle completely. We learn to distinguish clearly and cultivate a stronger sense of awareness at the physical, mental, and emotional levels.
About the “moment” and “movement”, yoga master Iyengar had unique insights. He said that most people lack awareness of the “moment”, having only the concept of the past, present, and future; people always unconsciously miss the “moment”, thus living in the “movement” without truly participating in the “moment”. However, yoga practitioners should always live in the “moment”, away from the “movement”, as if the river of time stops flowing at that instant and the mental pendulum also stops at the end of time.
Master Iyengar suggests that by practicing Corpse Pose (savasana), one can experience a moment of ‘timelessness.’ Yoga brings us many benefits, and most are somewhat aware of the benefits of various yoga poses, yet none compare to the experience of ‘timelessness.’ Yoga gives us the opportunity to explore ourselves, enhance clarity, and make wiser choices in every moment of life, thereby positively improving our karma.
Reading the book “Bhagavad Gita“, we can discover that this work is different from other yoga books. It not only discusses yoga itself but goes deeper into the concept of karma. Yoga is not the only way that can transform karmic forces; other activities can also have this effect, with the participant’s original intention being crucial. The same activity, filled with different initial intentions, will inevitably foster different karmic forces. For example, in the field of education, one teacher may act with the growth of students in mind, while another may only be interested in a stable job position. The gap between these two is undoubtedly significant. This difference will directly affect their respective karmic forces.
Today’s sharing about karma ends here. What is your understanding of karma? We look forward to reading your views. Also, if you notice any changes in your thoughts and actions after practicing yoga, we welcome you to share your experiences.