Karma , Yoga, Ayurveda and Vedic Astrology.

By Yogi Baba Premacharya

As yoga, ayurveda, and vedic astrology grow in popularity globally, frequently students neglect to consider the powerful relationship between the three and their synchronicity in relation to karma, health and spirituality.  These systems, in concert, provide powerful tools for wellness, personal growth and transformation, especially when one considers karma. 

Karma is a commonly used term, but often we neglect to consider the full ramifications of karma.  For example, a basic view of karma would indicate three primary types of karma.  The first type of karma is the karma that causes us to incarnate.  This karma gained enough power to rise to the top of our “karmic womb” and stimulate the process of incarnation.  The second type of karma is the “karmic womb”, which is karma that has yet to manifest in our life, or is yet to be resolved.  This would include karma that we are not currently working on in this lifetime.  This also includes unresolved karma, awaiting an opportunity to manifest in a future lifetime, and on more rare ocassions may manifest in our current incarnation.  The third type of karma, is karma that has been created in this lifetime, eventually becoming stored in the karmic womb—waiting for the opportunity to manifest in a future lifetime.  Obviously, the goal of each person is to resolve the primary karma(s) that caused us to incarnate, while not generating any new karma.  In cases of true enlightenment, the karmas that caused the incarnation and the karmas within the karmic womb are destroyed, freeing one from all karma. 

Yoga, ayurveda and vedic astrology all work within this primary karmic system.  Most students do not realize that ayurveda is basically an attempt to modify karma.  As most diseases are karma related, due to the actions we take resulting in a disease effect (cause and effect).  Ayurveda works primarily on the physical and mental manifestations of karma, and has as secondary spiritual benefit for practitioners.  Ayurveda works to modify, limit or correct karmas manifestation as disease and mental imbalance.  It is important to note, that one’s karmas would need to allow for them to have access to this attempt to modify karmas.  In reality, allopathic medicine is also an attempt to modify the manifestation of karma. 

Yoga is an attempt to modify karmas manifestation from a spiritual level, which has secondary benefits physically and mentally.  Ironically, most modern practitioners of yoga only consider the physical and mental benefits of yoga, without recognizing the tremendous spiritual teachings and spirituality that comprises all yoga systems.  This is clearly illustrated on a global level, as most people would think that hatha yoga is the most practiced yoga system, but in reality there are many more practitioners of Bhakti yoga—the yoga of devotion.

These two systems (Ayurveda and Yoga) combined provide powerful tools for transformation and elevation of consciousness, as well as basic health and wellness; with Ayurveda providing a system of karmic modification from the physical and mental levels with a secondary spiritual benefit, and yoga providing a spiritual system of modification with a secondary physical and mental benefit.  

Vedic astrology provides the final piece to the karmic puzzle.  Vedic astrology provides insight into the karmas that are trying to manifest in a person’s life; examining the potential physical manifestations of karma, as well as the mental/emotional potential manifestations of karma.   But Vedic astrology also provides insight into spiritual levels as well, treating the physical, mental and spiritual equally.  Vedic astrology provides remedials attempting to modify karma from a spiritual perspective, with secondary benefits mentally and emotionally, and a third level of benefits on the physical level.  The remedials are powerful, but like with all systems of karmic modification, cannot guarantee modification of the karma. 

The three systems combined provide a powerful tools for personal understanding of karma, offering numerous remedial approaches ranging from herbs, mantras, pranayamas, asanas,  astrological gems, philosophical teachings, and in-depth spiritual teachings.  All student’s of health, wellness, yoga and spirituality should strive to understand their karmas.  They should seek consultation with qualified practitioners, especially those skilled in all three systems—as this offers the most comprehensive program in attempting to modify karma.