Non-Attachment

Non-attachment is a big theme in yoga.

Non-attachment means not having personal or selfish desires. Instead, for peace of mind, yoga advises to dedicate our actions and their results to benefit other human beings, animals, and the Earth. That is practicing Non-attachment.

I always remember the example of an apple tree which gives its fruits without expecting anything back. The apple tree is perfectly selfless. It’s not attached to the results. If someone likes the apples, great. If someone doesn’t, the tree will not be disturbed or lose its peace.

We can learn from the apple tree.

Imagine if you could do your work, just for the love of doing the work, to benefit others.

Consciously, I practiced that for a few days: not expecting how other people will react to my work. But constantly, my mind kept thinking “if someone does not come back or doesn’t respond positively, does it mean they are not happy with my work.”

We cannot stop the mind from thinking. That is its job.

I discovered that to keep the mind calm and free of worry, we must simply focus on our work in the present moment.

Every moment. Moment-to-moment. Then, time disappears. Our actions become perfect. Our work becomes a selfless service and a form of meditation.