Karma Yoga & Tears

Yesterday I did some karma yoga by serving lunch at the Delonis Center, Ann Arbor’s homeless shelter. I had worked in the kitchen there once before, preparing a meal, but this was my first time actually being in contact with the people who came in. What a humbling, emotional experience. I found myself fighting to hold back tears a few times. What were the tears from? Well, first of all, just compassion for my fellow human beings who are ‘getting the short end of the stick’ so-to-speak. Secondly, they were tears of empathy. I have been dealing with a lot of pain, sadness and unpleasantness in my life lately, and when I see those things in someone else, my heart just goes out to them; I can relate. Finally, the tears were of gratitude. I was reminded that no matter how painful my current situation is and how much I’ve lost, I still have a roof over my head and food in my refrigerator. I can sleep in my own bed at night, I have a job that pays my bills, and I have supportive friends and family (plus a bunch of awesome yoga students!). I am blessed, and I need to remind myself of that more often. We all do.