Five Ways to Follow Your Dharma in Your Daily Life

Do You Know Your Dharma?

"The apple tree never asks the beech tree how he shall grow, nor the lion, the horse, how he shall take his prey.”

-William Blake

The apple tree follows its inner Dharma, and so does the beech. The lion follows his own Dharma, and doesn’t consult a horse. Dharma is a Sanskrit word that encompasses an inner wisdom that's intrinsic to life itself. It is an inner guidance, a natural order, the universal law, a cosmic way of being. The entire universe is governed by a cosmic order that makes the sun rise, the apple fall when tossed up, the snake bite, and the winter ice melt in spring. It is the Dharma of the satellites to revolve around the planets, of plants to stay rooted, of fire to burn, and of birds to fly. Atharva Veda states - “Prithivim dharmana dhritam.” [Translation: "This world is upheld by Dharma."]

One: Follow Your Joy to Discover Your Dharma

So what is the Dharma of a human being? We, as animals, have our natural instincts of eating, breathing, and sleeping; we also have our base instincts of greed, desire, jealousy, anger. In addition, we’ve been granted a higher intelligence, reasoning and discrimination. As we evolve, we learn to let go of our baser instincts in favor of behavior that supports and sustains the society and the world. But that sounds too grand, doesn't it? We freeze when we think what our life's "purpose" might be. We spend our lives wondering if we do have one. In reality, it's actually really easy to find our purpose, our daily Dharma. Think about what makes you feel excited, alive, and awake. And cram your day with as many things that you find joy in, as possible. Find those things that fill you with joy, and then your purpose will find you!

Two: See the Synchronicities

As you start following your joys more, you'll start noticing strange coincidences in your life, that make you go "Hmm..." Synchronicity is a way of the universe to tell you you're on the right track, in harmony, on your purpose, aligned with your Dharma. So don't ignore those coincidences - notice them. See what they might mean to you. As Swami Satchidananda explains, "Though we can't always see it at the time, if we look upon events with some perspective, we see things always happen for our best interests. We are always being guided in a way better than we know ourselves." Synchronicities are messages from the universe to provide you with precious insights to help you stay on your path and purpose.

Three: Say No and Let Go

This tip may be a little troublesome for some, but it's absolutely essential to recognize the essentials in your life. Slowly start whittling away all the non-essentials - any situations, events, or people that cause you discomfort, drained energy levels, fear, or anxiety. Initially, it may be awkward to say 'no' to that co-worker who always wants to gossip, or it may cause tension when you don't want to go to the upcoming camping trip. But as you identify each non-essential you should let go, your life attains a level of clarity that helps you focus on your purpose. Each day, make a conscious choice - to let go of something small and mindless like watching the evening news, or something as big as a dysfunctional relationship. When you do let them go, your life will open up to receive, recharge, and revive, so you can realign with your purpose.

Four: Pick Up a Practice

Dhyana, or meditation, is the best daily practice I recommend - all you need is 20 minutes to yourself. There isn’t much to meditation, no matter how big a deal the spiritual gurus try to make it seem. There really are only three pieces to the meditation puzzle: Time, Place, and You. You don't need fancy gadgets, clocks or cushions. Pick a time and place where you won't be disturbed. Just sit in stillness for 20 minutes. That's it. Or you can make a practice of anything else you are drawn to - ballet dancing, bonsai gardening, or walking a labyrinth- the important thing is to bring all of yourself to your practice - body, mind and soul. Find a favorite place and time, work it into your schedule, and make it a ritual.

Five: Play, Rest and Do Nothing

Dharma loosely translates to duty, but don't be lost in your own sense of duty and lose sight of your playful side. It is your Dharma to do nothing sometimes. Did you know Shavasana is the most important posture in yoga? Even though Shava means corpse in Sanskrit, Shavasana is meant to bring you back to life after a vigorous yoga practice. It helps you benefit from your practice better because it helps your body and brain to remember and integrate the goodness it gained through the practice. Find your Shavasana in your daily life. We are a society of over-achievers. Let's try to under-achieve for a few minutes each day. Make your personal achievement of the day to do nothing at all for a few minutes, an hour, a day in a week, or a week in a year. Doing nothing can be an art form in itself!

This is Your Path to Peace, Presence, and Purpose!

With these 5 ways, let your inner Dharma lead you. Rather than mindlessly going about your day, go about it with purpose - be aware, be consious of your choices, and be open. Dharma is not about success - it is about feeling in harmony with yourself, in your thoughts, in your words, and in your actions as you go about your everyday life. When each person strives to use his talents and gifts, fulfills his potential and purpose, and expresses himself in the highest way possible, it creates a society full of Dharmic human beings, who will then create a conscious society, a conscious planet, and a conscious universe.

Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah! [Sanskrit translation: One who protects Dharma is protected by Dharma]