In the early Upanishads, for example, Kena and Isha, the precepts of karma yoga were first indirectly formulated, although Krishna expounded its entire essence later in the Bhagavad Gita. In these Upanishads, the possibility of moving along the path of yoga and reaching its pinnacle without giving up daily duties was shown for the first time.

This path can lead to the same experience as other types of yoga. Like his guru, Swami Sivananda, Swami Satyananda confirms and emphasizes the importance of karma yoga for achieving the experience of meditation: “One should perform one task at a time. Complete absorption in any work gradually teaches the mind to forget its usual fickleness and instability. If you immerse yourself in the work at hand with complete concentration and undivided attention, it will greatly help you in meditation.”

That is, one-pointedness of mind is achieved, which, for example, in raja yoga is achieved with the help of dharana.

One of the main commandments of karma yoga is not to become attached to your actions and their consequences since work itself rarely harms anyone; it is the expectation of reward that causes disturbances in the mind. Attachment brings pain and suffering, while detachment brings peace and satisfaction.

Karma yoga aims to reduce the influence of the ego and, ultimately, leads to its complete elimination. This erasure of the ego becomes much easier if one feels committed to a cause, a person, or a symbol of a higher being. Under these circumstances, he devotes all his actions to the object of his devotion.

The Bhagavad Gita says, "Those holy persons, whose sins have been purged, whose doubts are annihilated, whose minds are disciplined, and who are devoted to the welfare of all beings, attain God and are liberated from material existence."

In karma yoga, work with complete detachment is called nishkama karma - “selfless work.” Although no benefits are expected from it, it actually brings the most significant benefits - peace of mind, higher awareness and knowledge.

Karma Yoga cannot be separated from other paths of yoga since all the different paths are mutually reinforcing. Service with total concentration of the mind can lead to more profound meditative experiences, and deeper meditative experiences such as raja yoga, kriya yoga, etc., help to practice karma yoga more successfully.

Karma yoga can be directly combined with bhakti yoga by applying the principle of self-surrender inherent in the latter.

In addition, karma yoga serves as a preparation for jnana yoga, which requires deep concentration of the mind.

Karma yoga is closely connected with bhakti and jnana yoga. A karma yogi who combines bhakti yoga and karma yoga has a state in which he feels like an instrument in the hands of God. He sees that God does everything and thus gradually gets rid of the feeling of the doer and karma. He finds freedom through action.

The principles of karma yoga according to the Bhagavad Gita in a brief form.

Non-attachment to the fruits of actions.

“You have the right to work, but for the work's sake only. You have no right to the fruits of work. Desire for the fruits of work must never be your motive in working. Never give way to laziness, either.” (2:47)

Equanimity.

“Perform  your actions, O Dhananjaya (Arjuna), being established in or integrated with  Yoga, abandoning attachment and remaining even-minded both in success and  failure. This Evenness of mind is called Yoga.”  (2:48)

The need for action.

“For the embodied being, it is impossible to give up activities entirely. But those who relinquish the fruits of their actions are said to be truly renounced.” (18:11).

Unselfishness. 

“He who is free from the sense of ego, who is not subject to the feelings of good and bad, although he kills these people, he does not kill and is not bound by these actions.” (18:47).

Renunciation and Enlightenment.

“Those whose intellect is unattached everywhere, who have mastered the mind, and are free from desires by the practice of renunciation, attain the highest perfection of freedom from action.” (18:49).

Duty.

“You should thus perform your prescribed Vedic duties, since action is superior to inaction. By ceasing activity, even your bodily maintenance will not be possible..” (3:8).