To Seva or Not to Seva

Seva exalts ordinary work into an experience of the Divine.

Thank you for considering Seva at Urban Yoga Chicago

Given generously, it elevates the work, and the Doer, to the status of Godliness, and the entire community becomes the beneficiary of this love-in-action. Doers of seva are called sevadars. While seva is service without expectation for recognition, a LOT of gratitude is directed your way from us at UYC. We know how essential seva is for community-building and how much it reflects the love and experience of this community.  

In deciding whether or not to say yes to Seva, please consider the following:

Seva work is not frivolous participation. Each role is an essential one, and when a sevadar drops out after committing, it affects the balance and can create a burden on the other sevadars, increasing the possibility of burn-out and resentment. It can also negatively impact the delivery of a program or event. When seva work is well-balanced with reliable members, it can be rewarding, fun, and add to the positive experience of a dynamic community as well as to the delivery of events, which, in the work that we do, can be incredibly transformational. 

For events: once you say yes, your part is relied on. Please treat this commitment as if it were a paid job and as if you will be using us for a reference someday. If this feels unreasonable to you, or if you feel that other commitments in your life may affect your ability to follow this commitment through, please refrain from offering seva at this time. We understand "no" unequivocally over a "yes" followed by last-minute cancellation or no-show. 

For ongoing seva - i.e. you've volunteered to be a part of the yogi tea making team, the plant-care committee, or laundry team: it is perfectly okay to change your mind and decide that you are no longer able or even willing to do it; no explanation is needed, just let us know. That said, we do expect that you communicate this change in advance and look for a confirmation reply back from us to ensure that the baton has been passed successfully.

Thanks again for your consideration and for the contributions you've made so far, simply through your presence alone. We already appreciate you more than you know and are so grateful for your participation in this community, at all levels.

​Sat Nam.  

​With love, Savitree and Jodh.