PVLF 2025

Interview with Richa Tilokani, Author "7 Lessons of Karm Yoga"

Learn from Richa Tilokani’s journey in writing "7 Lessons of Karm Yoga" and how it shapes leadership and success.
on Jan 22, 2025

Richa Tilokani holds a Master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from SP Jain Institute of Marketing & Research, Mumbai. A marketing, communication and advertising professional, she enjoys writing books and poems and has contributed to myriad magazines, newspapers, blogs and anthologies.

Her first book The Teachings of Bhagavad Gita-Timeless Wisdom for the Modern Age was published in 2021 by Hay House India. It was nominated by the Pragati Vichar Literary Festival 2022 in the Best Debut Non-fiction category. She was named as one of the ‘Best Indian authors’ at the Criticspace Literary Awards 2021. She was also included on the list of Most Iconic Authors of 2022 by Aesthetics International magazine.

Her second book was published by Rupa Publications in 2024 and was nominated by the Pragati Vichar Literary Festival 2025 in the Best Self-Help category.

Frontlist: Many resolutions fail due to a lack of mindset management. How does your book "7 Lessons of Karm Yoga" address this challenge and ensure sustained commitment to professional growth?

Richa: Failure occurs because of the desire for instant results and instant success. The modern age is built for the instant gratification of desires, but this has far-reaching consequences, some of which are evident to all of us today.

The ancient laws of Karm Yoga state that one must be in it for the long haul. So, one must plan for the long term, not just for tomorrow or the next quarter or the next year.

The modern workplace and its leaders often do just that- in their quest for ever-growing profits, they chase unsustainable growth. They want to conquer the markets and their customers on Day One. But Rome was not built in a day, and neither will the goals be achieved in one day, and definitely not in an unsustainable, unplanned manner, so staying focused and balanced is paramount. Growth and change will come eventually, and one must ensure that one is just and humane.

Frontlist: The New Year is often a time for reflection and setting intentions. How do the principles in your book guide individuals in aligning their actions with their goals, helping them achieve a more fulfilling and balanced year ahead?

Richa: In the quest for business and personal growth, including work-life balance, creative fuel, and purpose, Karm Yoga's powerful message offers abundant motivation to communities, teams, leaders, and new-age work warriors.

As they deal with macro factors in the professional landscape, they must also navigate challenges, new and old, arising from a deeply entrenched exploitative system that functions with a focus on profit. This system works exceptionally well for a handful of one-percenters who enjoy the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the business rainbow. The remaining 99 percenters, including many ethnic and religious groups, women, minorities, the differently abled, and perhaps even older workers, struggle to earn a living.

What can they do in this scenario to achieve their goals? Manage the self—an ongoing practice. The laws of karma yoga advocate for incremental changes that add up over time and eventually lead to a mindset change. This will not be simple, but nothing worthwhile is ever achieved with ease.

Frontlist: In the context of the New Year, how can individuals adopt the mindset of the karta (doer) to tackle challenges and embrace opportunities with clarity and purpose?

Richa: The mindset of the karta or the doer involves redefining the individual's relationship to self, duty, engagement process, and all the stakeholders of the ecosystem. Driven by a higher purpose, this elevated mindset inspires the pursuit of excellence, innovation, and self-actualization with a clear focus on collective, sustainable prosperity.

For instance, one of the laws states that one must perform the duty. This is non-negotiable in nature. Even if it is difficult, yawn-inducing, or repetitive, it must still be performed. In modern times, one often looks for excuses to abandon the duty. Then, one may justify this act of abandonment by claiming others are doing the same or it is too challenging, but that is no reason to stray from the path of karma.

It continuously inspires one to engage with the duty with respect and joy- to treat it as a divine gift, not a chore.

With it, the aspiring yogis will learn to think outside the box, colour beyond the lines, think win- win, reinvent the rules, accept the paradigm shift, discover synergies and drive excellence to achieve personal and professional goals. I hope I got the corporate jargon right.

Frontlist: Your first book, The Teachings of Bhagavad Gita, explored the Bhagavad Gita's lessons. How did that journey lead you to write about Karm Yoga, and how do these works complement each other?

Richa: Well, exploring the Gita brought me to the doorstep of Karm Yoga. Yoga means skill in action, and Karm Yoga is the art of work.

But while writing the first book I realised, due to various misconceptions, many in the modern workplace and the contemporary global society were unaware of its holistic nature and stunning benefits. That prompted me to initiate research on karm yoga.

Both books inspire readers to explore and discover themselves, unlock their potential, and face life's challenges with resilience.

Frontlist: You mention that modern management styles are becoming obsolete. What are the key takeaways from your book that can help readers replace outdated practices with a more sustainable approach in the upcoming year?

Richa: The ancient, timely philosophy of Karm Yoga is a meaningful path of progress for this era of disruption and discord. With its roots in mystical Indian philosophy, its sublime tenets offer a bold vision of leadership and strategic mindset management that elevates the thought process, refreshes relationships, resolves conflicts, and drives long-term growth. (Karm refers to work or duty here, not the "Law of Karma," which offers a result for a corresponding action.)

A key one is that every employee, whether a worker or a manager, must function like a leader. Leadership is not a mere designation but an attitude that can be nurtured by everyone. It should not entail the exploitation of human resources but must include a sincere nurturing of their gifts and talents.

Or we can let things continue as they are- and face the troubling consequences. The recent death of a 26-year employee of consulting giant E&Y due to overwork is a wake-up call and a disturbing case in point.

This is reminiscent of Japan's overwork culture, which has struggled with many cases of karoshi—a sorry term that should not exist but was coined to describe death by overwork. China boasts of a similar 9-9-9 culture that prioritizes business needs over personal welfare.

Frontlist: Your book describes Karm Yoga as creating magic in everyday life. Can you share a specific example of how its principles can help someone overcome challenges like work-life balance or stress and lead to meaningful transformations?

Richa: The Covid-19 pandemic forced the workplace and its leaders to take a long, hard look at the faulty management philosophies, redundant processes, and parochial attitudes crippling the economic and intellectual landscape. This resulted in a sweeping set of changes, including but not limited to the hybrid culture, work-from-home policy, flexi-timings, and a renewed focus on overall well-being to achieve work-life balance.

However, with the passage of time, work became hybrid until it wasn't, timings became flexible until they weren't, workforce wellness needs were prioritized until they were not, and leaders became accommodating until they were not because these changes were mere stop-gap arrangements, unaccompanied by a clear, comprehensive philosophy and a meaningful attitudinal/behavioral shift.

What will work is an evolved karm yogic mindset infused with strength, resilience, and clarity- that is the best bet to manage work-life stress and enable meaningful transformation.

For instance, it encourages one to avoid extremes in behavior- living and working with balance can mitigate the impact of stress. This means saying no to both extremes-

1. Overwork and underwork,

2. Over and under eating,

3. Excess and lack of sleep

4. Excess and a lack of recreation

Frontlist: From your first book, The Teachings of Bhagavad Gita, to 7 Lessons of Karm Yoga, how has your writing style matured, and what changes have you made in your approach to storytelling or conveying complex philosophical ideas to keep your readers engaged and inspired?

Richa: Naturally, my writing style has evolved since the first book. I believe I am more patient with research and am able to break down and simplify complex topics. In the upcoming books, I have tried to use more examples to illustrate my points- which may help readers absorb the details with ease. Also, hopefully, I am getting better at relating the ancient yet timeless principles to the challenges of modern times so that we all can benefit from them.

Frontlist: As we step into 2025, what is your message for our audience who are looking for clarity, balance, and success in the coming year?

Richa: As we step into 2025, I hope the readers are able to bring the laws of karma yoga into their work-life. Over the years, their transformative impact on visionary leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, sportspersons, and business leaders, amongst others, has been deeply analyzed, well-documented, and universally accepted. However, due to various misconceptions, many in the modern workplace or the contemporary global society are unaware of its holistic nature and stunning benefits. Perhaps we can remedy this situation together.

Here's wishing everyone a Happy New Year. Let's aim to make it meaningful by seeking both progress and peace, profit and purpose, sustainability and security, growth, and a green future.