Mandala artwork by Anahata Katkin
“The fruit of love is service. Prayer in action is love, and love in action is service."
– Mother Teresa
The Sanskrit word Seva translates directly as “string”, implying that all things are connected in the thread of existence. To engage with one is to engage with the whole. Likewise, to serve one is to serve the whole.
In its current use, seva is a spiritual practice of selfless service, springing from two forms of yoga, Karma Yoga which is the yoga of action, and Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of worship inspired by divine love. Seva can be as simple as helping a child cross a street, or as difficult as caring for refugees in a war torn land a world away. Nevertheless, seva is one of the most profound and life changing of practices. However we chose to express our own unique seva practice, we ultimately test our altruism and put our spiritual knowledge into action.
Through the spirit of selfless action, when we have nothing to gain and nothing to lose by not doing, performing Seva all the time to our family, and our activities, we attain that height of realization whereby our mind becomes absorbed in God. The practice of Seva becomes a path to self-realization which is the essence of yoga.
Seva should be done with no expectation of reward or even acknowledgment of the work that is done. We serve not to convert or save a soul, but simply to serve and for no other reason. No strings attached. No carrots. Make yourself invisible and do acts of kindness without expectation of return, coming from a place of love.
-James Bailey
www.sevanti.com
"Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison of selfishness by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation.”
– Albert Einstein
Join a people to people movement centered around one of the most crucial issues and solutions of our times - the power of trees to transform global warming and air quality, restore ecology and empower community.
Our goal is to sponsor 200 villages in some of the poorest and desertifed regions of the world, primarily focused in South India to plant over 1,000,008 trees with the sustainable, integrated approach of Trees for the Future, which has planted over 38,000,000 trees all over the world. Through Yoga Trance Dances across the country, community pods of 12 people (at $41 each memberships that can sponsor one village), and people to people yoga and seva travel in India we awaken and serve the source of life - prana - that breathes within us all.
For more info, visit:
Trees for the Future (www.treesftf.org)
Shiva Rea (www.shivarea.com)
Acorn Media (www.acornmedia.com, www.acaciacatalog.com)
For upcoming events click here.
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
– Gandhi
A link to all our creative partners, yoga studios, teachers and friends.
Coming Soon!
Music for Prana Vinyasa Flow™ Yoga and Yoga Trance Dance™
Look for new releases of Jala and Nataraja compilation CDs on Sounds True 2006 compiled by Shiva Rea.
ENERGETIC FLOW
Asian Underground:
Rhythm:
MEDITATIVE FLOW
Kirtan:
Lunar Music:
Sevanti Ayurveda is the private clinical practice of James Bailey, LAc, MATCM, MPH, Dipl Ayu, Ayurvedic Practitioner, acupuncturist and doctor of Oriental Medicine. Located in Santa Monica, CA. Sevanti Ayurveda offers a full range of Ayurvedic and Oriental Medicine clinical practices, traditional diagnositics, consultations, and treatment modalities such as panchakarma, acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutritional therapies, and more. For more information www.sevanti.com.
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