Karmic Relief

Harnessing the Laws of Cause-and-Effect for a Joyful, Meaningful Life

Philip Goldberg

Paperback
9781958972991
US $22.99
eBook available
October 2025

Both historical and practical, this book highlights the principles of karmic belief and practice throughout history and how they came to the West, then applies the principles of karma to ethics and morality, relationships, work and career decisions, mental and physical health, grief and death, and all aspects of self-development.

When Donald Trump was indicted in March 2023, reporters asked Yusef Salaam, a candidate for New York City Council, for his response. Salaam, one of the exonerated Central Park 5 whose execution Trump had called for when they were tried for rape and attempted murder in 1989, had a one-word answer: “Karma.” What was most notable was not Salaam’s use of the term, but that no media outlet found it necessary to explain what it means. That’s because karma has entered the common lexicon and every literate person seems to know what it means.

The word crops up everywhere—not just in yoga studios, academic journals, and alternative spiritual circles, and among Hindus and Buddhists, but in news reports, ads, sitcoms, sports columns, and the everyday conversations of people who wouldn’t know Upanishads from Us Magazine. Stephen Colbert invokes the term on TV, and Taylor Swift summons it in song (iTunes in fact lists more than 150 karmic song titles).

In short, karma is a profoundly useful idea, and Karmic Relief is a profoundly useful book. It offers readers both a blueprint for building a more fulfilling life and a way to reconcile some of life’s most vexing conundrums.

Philip Goldberg has been studying the world’s spiritual wisdom for more than fifty years, as a practitioner, teacher, and author. His many books include American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation, How Indian Spirituality Changed the West, which was named one of the top ten religion books of the year by both Huffington Post and the American Library Association; and Spiritual Practice for Crazy Times, published in 2020.

Phil has lectured and taught at venues throughout North America and India, and has conducted online courses for platforms such as Spirituality & Practice, Embodied Philosophy, and Hindu University of America. He also teaches private online courses on the Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, and other topics. Since January, 2023, he has hosted the podcast Spirit Matters with Philip Goldberg on the nascent and growing platform, mindbodyspirit.fm. His website is www.PhilipGoldberg.com. He lives in Great Barrington, MA.

For the author’s earlier books:

“An illuminating, gracefully written and remarkably thorough account of India’s spectacular impact on Western religion and spirituality.” –Deepak Chopra

“American Veda shows us how we got to where we are. It chronicles a revolution in consciousness and describes India’s lasting influence on our culture, from gurus, meditation, and yoga to sitar music and aromatic curries. Savor it.” –Michael Bernard Beckwith, author of Spiritual Liberation: Fulfilling Your Soul’s Potential

“Documents an important cultural change and is an impressive book: informed and informative, well researched and readable.” –Roger Walsh MD, PhD, University of California Medical School, author of Essential Spirituality: The Seven Central Practices

“Intriguing reading, fascinating profiles and great storytelling of Yoga luminaries adapting the teachings to fit modern American life. This book inspires us to continue to deepen in our body, mind, and spiritual journey.” –Lilias Folan, PBS Host and author Lilias! Yoga Gets Better with Age