Day 38: Seva: Service in Language, Yoga and Sobriety
Exploring the Role of Selfless Service in Community, Spirituality and Recovery
Today, I learned something new from my Bahasa teacher about the Bahasa Indonesian language that fascinated me. The -in suffix in Bahasa Indonesia (and Bahasa Bali) often indicates an action being done for someone else, reflecting a cultural emphasis on community and mutual assistance. This linguistic feature highlights how Indonesian and Balinese societies are deeply communal, where people naturally take care of one another and prioritize collective well-being over individualism.
In contrast, English doesn’t have a direct equivalent of this suffix, which aligns with its more individualistic cultural tendencies. To express the same idea in English, we often have to add extra words (e.g., carry vs. carry for someone). This small grammatical difference reveals a deeper cultural contrast: in Bali, the expectation of helping others is embedded in daily interactions, while in English-speaking cultures, assistance is typically specified or requested explicitly.
Bali, in particular, follows the philosophy of Tri Hita Karana—the three causes of well-being—which emphasizes harmony with people, nature, and the spiritual realm. The idea of helping others is a natural part of this balance, and it shows up in the way people speak, interact, and structure their daily lives.
Service as a Path to Connection
Reflecting on this, I began thinking about the role of service and how it shapes culture and community. I believe service supports the way we engage with and participate in communities, and that the absence of service may be one of the reasons why loneliness is so pervasive in modern society.
Throughout my childhood, I volunteered within my community, but one particular service role changed my life. In 2010, I volunteered at a yoga studio, cleaning in exchange for free classes. In doing this, I no longer felt like an outsider—I felt like I was part of something. Though I was terrible at cleaning (no one trained me how to do it!), I took my role seriously. My participation in the studio’s functioning gave me a sense of purpose.
Similarly, during my 200-hour yoga teacher training, each of us had a service role. I was responsible for setting up the room for kirtan every night. These small service roles created a sense of belonging, reinforcing that we were not just students—we were contributors to the community.
Service in Sobriety and Ethical Dilemmas
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how service fits into my current sober program, and also my new recovery program that is in development. One challenge I face is that The Mindful Life Practice and Sober Girls Yoga are businesses, and while I offer volunteer opportunities, I sometimes feel awkward about the structure of unpaid work in a business setting. Most people volunteer because they love teaching yoga or leading circles, but I wrestle with ethical concerns about balancing service with business sustainability. That being said, I also need to make a living from my work, and I need to sustain, and if I spend a lot of energy and time on free services, then I will not be able to financially support myself.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) seamlessly integrates service (but it’s also an organization that runs on donations). Everyone plays a role—whether they’re sponsoring someone or leading a meeting. If a chairperson doesn’t show up, someone else steps up without hesitation. It’s an amazing demonstration of collective responsibility.
As I develop my new sober program, I’m considering making it completely free. While it requires a lot of effort to create, I believe service is essential to sobriety. However, I feel uncomfortable expecting people to volunteer within a business setting. This has led me to question whether my recovery program should become a separate entity altogether, and if it becomes a separate entity, how I will focus time and energy into building it whilst also building my business and earning revenue to support myself. These ideas are still forming, but they are guiding my vision.
Seva in Yoga and the Twelve Steps
The concept of seva (selfless service) is explicitly developed in the Bhagavad Gitathrough the path of Karma Yoga—the yoga of selfless action. Krishna teaches Arjuna that selfless service, performed without attachment to the results, is a way to transcend ego and attain liberation:
Bhagavad Gita 3.19 – “Therefore, always perform your duty efficiently and without attachment. By doing so, one attains the Supreme.”
Bhagavad Gita 3.30 – “Dedicate all actions to Me with your mind fixed on the Self, free from desire and selfishness.”
This idea of acting in service without expecting rewards is a core theme in the Gita and aligns deeply with Step 12 in the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous:
Step 12:
“Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.”
This step emphasizes that sobriety isn’t just about personal healing—it involves giving back and being of service to others.
How Step 12 Connects to Yoga
Karma Yoga (Selfless Action) – Bhagavad Gita
Just as Krishna teaches Arjuna to act without attachment, Step 12 encourages helping others without expecting anything in return.
Service in sobriety deepens the spiritual path by shifting the focus from self to others.
Ishvarapranidhana (Surrender to the Divine) – Yoga Sutras
Step 12 recognizes that recovery comes from a higher power (Ishvara), and service is a way of staying connected to that spiritual foundation.
Helping others is an act of surrender—acknowledging that we stay sober by supporting others.
Seva as a Path to Freedom
In both yoga and the Twelve Steps, selfless service helps dissolve the ego.
By shifting focus from self to service, we step into true liberation and healing.
The Role of Service in Recovery
Service is a key part of yoga, spirituality, and sobriety. It fosters community, belonging, and purpose. As I navigate the future of my sober program, I continue to reflect on how to integrate seva in a way that aligns with my values.
What does service mean to you, and how does it contribute to your recovery? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Pranayama & Meditation YTT
Meet Jaimy, one of our past students from the Netherlands. Before joining our 100-Hour Pranayama & Meditation YTT, she was familiar with guided meditations but lacked a deeper understanding of pranayama and mantra-based meditation.
Here’s what she had to say:
“I really enjoyed learning a new meditation technique called ‘Mantra Meditation.’ I had only done guided meditations through apps, so it was valuable to learn a different approach and understand that meditation can be effortless and accessible to everyone.
The pranayama portion was fascinating! I didn’t realize there were so many breathing techniques and that each one has a different function. Now, I can confidently implement them into my classes.”
If you want to experience this transformation for yourself and your students, now is the time to join.
🌿 Training starts February 11 – Secure your spot today!