relaxing and getting off to sleep at night, or expect to be woken many times in the night.

Parenting as Karma Yoga
   In the broadest sense, another type of yoga sadhana equates with what is called Karma Yoga, or selfless service. Whereas with most other forms of yoga the eyes are closed, the senses are drawn inwards, the body is following a prescribed physical routine, the mind is made one-pointed, the awareness is focussed internally, and your highest consciousness is (hopefully) watching the whole process as a witness, with Karma Yoga the senses, the mind and the awareness are externalised upon performing the physical and mental job at hand in the best possible manner. An added element is that your actions are being done not for self, not for "me", but as a heart-giving service for others. In common with the internal forms of yoga practise is the concept that the consciousness is detached from the whole process, remaining a witness to your "practise" or your actions.
   This in essence describes beautifully the natural role of the mother. Your motherhood is a sadhana in itself - if you choose to make it so. By performing its duties with concentration, love and higher awareness, the spiritual benefits and outcomes can be identical to that of the usual closed-eyed yoga. It all comes down to attitude and skill in the performance of the practice. Yes, Karma Yoga is a practice. Let's admit it, being selfless is not something we have yet perfected! It is something we are still practising.
   It is called Karma Yoga because it has the possibility of lessening one's karmas (actions or desires) firstly by not producing anymore, and secondly by working out those karmas which are latent in the mind. Every time we act we are creating karma by being attached to the outcome of that act. We do because we want. We get because we have wanted. The principle behind Karma Yoga is to do without wanting, and to get without having wanted! Hmm, sounds tricky.
   Sharing the same ultimate aim as all other forms of yoga and tantra - that is expanding awareness and enjoining our disparate forms of energy -  Karma Yoga is both a means and an end. It is primarily a way of using your energy for the good of someone else. You may well receive some benefits out of that service (material or spiritual) but that should never be your focus - the fruits of your labours are not your own to enjoy. The enjoyment comes from the selfless doing and not from any kickbacks. Don't worry, you will

receive back from the cosmos all that  you need. It may not be all that you wanted, but that is not the karma yogi's concern.
   A simple test to assess your level of Karma Yoga advancement is to ask yourself the following questions: Would I have gone to work today if I had not been paid? Would I have helped this person if I did not know they were going to pay me back in some way at some later stage? Did I enjoy this work purely for the doing of that work? Would I remain unaffected if someone came along and destroyed all the efforts of my work?
   Now, in terms of motherhood, ask yourself those same questions again:- Am I happy to tend to all my baby's needs even though I get no wage for doing so, or would I remain so if all my financial support was taken away? Am I happy to tend to all my baby's needs even though he never thanks me, or if the other members of my family just took it all for granted? Do I enjoy this work simply because it needs to be done? Would I remain unaffected if my baby was taken away or died, thereby "wasting" all my efforts of upbringing? Hard questions, eh? But only if you could answer yes to all of them would you have perfected the Karma Yoga of mothering.
   One goal of all yoga branches is to learn detachment. In Karma Yoga this applies as detachment from the outcome of all actions - both good and bad outcomes. That doesn't mean you don't care. Of course you care about the quality of your workmanship - you do your best in every way possible. Of course you care how it helps others - you are acting out of compassion because you do care. But you don't care whether its results throw back to you. An onlooker would conclude that you love your work incredibly - it would appear that you are very attached to it. But, that love of the work is not the love of emotional attachment but of an unconditional nature, meaning, it is not conditional on what you may or may not get back from it.
   In day to day Karma Yoga you strive to work just as you would exercise with asanas, or breathe with pranayama, or concentrate with Mantra Japa. In the end, it matters not if the outcome is perfect, but only that it was something you applied yourself to, as best you could, at that time. Perhaps next time round you will do better (in terms of effort put in, not in terms of outcome). In Karma Yoga, even if the outcome of your work for another person is not to your liking, that must be accepted. Even if the outcome of your efforts is used by someone else in a way you do not approve of, that is of no concern to you.