smile, a prayer, or a small gift. Similarly, be open to
receiving the gifts that come to you during the day. They
may be gifts from nature, such as the songs of birds, a
spring shower, a rainbow, or a beautiful sunset. They may
be gifts from people in your life—a warm embrace, a kind
gesture, a helpful suggestion. Make the commitment to
enliven the Law of Giving and Receiving by taking every
opportunity to circulate love, caring, affection, apprecia-
tion, and acceptance.
Learn the mantra whose vibratory qualities resonate
with the Law of Giving and Receiving, and repeat it
silently to yourself whenever you find yourself restricting
the flow of giving and receiving in your life.
Om Vardhanam Namah
I am the nourisher of the universeLaw 3. The Law of Karma
(or Cause and Effect)
The third spiritual law of success pertains to karma, or
cause and effect. Every action we take generates a force of
energy that returns to us in kind—as we sow, so we reap.
When we consciously choose actions that bring happiness
and success to others, the fruit of our karma is happiness
and success.
Although many people misinterpret the Law of
Karma as imprisoning us in a cycle of unending reactivity,
it is actually an assertion of human freedom. Karma
implies the action of conscious choice-making for we are
all infinite choice makers. In every moment of your exis-
tence, the real you resides in the field of pure potentiality
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga 57