What Exactly Is Bhakti Yoga? Beyond the Poses
My initial encounter with the concept of bhakti yoga led me to imagine something completely different to the active forms of poses that I was used to. The thought of devotional yoga initially gave me doubts because I thought myself to be of a scientifically-minded individual.
I did not realize that this ancient highway would not just repackage my perception of yoga but totally redefine my experience of moving in the world and give me a sense of peace and connection that I had not known I lacked until then. My path to bhakti yoga was not made in the studio, in fact, it was made in the time of my personal doubting, and it has been the basis of my everyday life, relations, and inner space.
What Exactly Is Bhakti Yoga? Beyond the Poses
As a person like I, I would think yoga is mostly about posing. There is a wonderful alternative with Bhakti yoga- it is also referred to as the yoga of love and devotion. Bhakti does not emphasize on bodily alignment, as opposed to the heart alignment. It is a spiritual journey in which we pour our feelings into the love of God, and learn to perceive all things as manifestation of something mysterious .
According to the Bhakti Sutras, bhakti is the means and the end in itself. It is not about blind faith but an organized way of changing our feelings of emotion. According to one spiritual teacher, we can grease your action with love, and it is whether we are bringing our children to school, working at a job we are stressed at, or it is our formal practice. This notion appealed to me so much, as the thought that all actions, regardless of their insignificance, could be filled with intention and affection.
The Science Behind the Spirit: Why Bhakti Made Sense to my Skeptical Mind.
With a background that embraced empirical evidence, I had to learn bhakti in a way that would be logically clear. However, I was surprised by what I learned: bhakti yoga is a science of devotion, which has its own system of principles and foreseeable results.
The concept of the practice is based on the fact that we are all in a constant internal struggle of a higher self and a lower self. Bhakti is useful in feeding our higher self, which is nothing but our true self as pure godly souls, and in defeating the lower self, which is our material wants and ego. It is not merely spiritual poetry, and I have felt the very concrete shifts in my capacity to deal with problematic emotions and stay within my frame of reference when dealing with difficult situations just like the ones that other people who followed this path have.
The Heart of Bhakti: Main Foundations According to Which the Practice is Guided.
Bhakti yoga is not a diffuse notion of being spiritual, it is constructed around certain principles, which have been transmitted across generations. The knowledge of these made me realize what it is exactly that I was practicing:
Sacrifices to love: Bhakti is not done with the expectation of self-benefit. It is an unconditional gift without negotiation and desire of certain rewards. This was not easy at the very beginning, as I was used to achieving definite results. It was an eye opener to know how to practice just to practice.
Divinization of everything: One of the major beliefs in bhakti is the identification with the same divine nature in all creatures, despite their external variations. The concept has significantly influenced the way I relate with all people in my life not just family members but also friends and even strangers.
Surrendering and giving: Bhakti shows that we should give all, our actions, thoughts, even our pain, grief, everything, to the divine, that we are in the hands of some higher power. This is not the passive resignation but the active involvement but with another attitude.
Swami Sivananda identified eleven ways of nurturing the bhakti, such as telling the truth, charity, being straightforward, doing good to others, being cheerful and optimistic. These are not ideals in the abstract sense but day to day rules.
My Bhakti Toolkit: How to practice what really works.
The beauty of bhakti yoga is that you need not have special equipment or have to be physically in good health to practice. These are the methods, which have become the daily part of my life:
Chanting and Kirtan
I was reluctant to hear about kirtan (call-and-response chanting) at first, I am not the best singer. However I learned that it is not really about performance but participation. In Bhakti Yoga DC, they define kirtan as an ultimate merger of live devotional music and sacred call-and-answer singing, in which everybody is welcome to sing loudly and open his heart. I am now a consistent participant of kirtan events and the feeling of togetherness and happiness that comes with singing with other people is something I enjoy even now days after the kirtan event is over.
Mantra Meditation and Japa
Repeating of mantras also known as Japa has become my anchor during the day. This is unlike silent meditation where I occasionally felt challenged but when I concentrated on a sacred sound I have a one-pointed focus of my mind. According to Yoga International, Japa, or mantra repetitions, produce a positive groove or impression in our unconscious mind that is very deep in nature. I do it in my formal sitting meditation and also when walking, cooking or even when stressful situations arise at work.
Prayer and Ritual
I have designed a simple home shrine and I dedicate some time in the morning and evening. This is not about requesting anything but about attachment and appreciation. True prayer, as Swami Rama explained is an interior process, it is totally selfless and pure. My ritual may involve keeping a candle lit, putting flowers on it, or even sitting down and being thankful- these simple things make me start my days and end them with focusing on being conscious.
Study and Contemplation
Bhakti treasureth heart and head. I read religious books such as Bhagavad Gita and engage in philosophical debates frequently. According to one of the sources, a devotee, who lacks a solid philosophical basis (jnanayoga), may become confused with the simple emotionalism, without any sense of direction and purpose. Bhakti Yoga DC community holds weekly philosophy evenings known as Satsang which they define as weekly meeting to discover eternal spiritual reality, through heart-felt dialogue, inspirational kirtan, and collective wisdom.
Service and Community
The other important part of my practice has been to learn to view service not as a duty but as a privilege. This is reflected in Bhakti Yoga DC, who promise a space that is based on dignity, inclusion, and reverence and their services to people facing housing insecurity in their local community (). The need to find a means of serving others, either through official programs or just simple acts of kindness has enhanced my practice beyond measure.
The Unexpected Journey: Bhakti Practice Stages.
No one informed me that the bhakti practice would come in stages each with its challenges and gifts. Knowing these helped me to treat myself kindly in the cases where my practice was dull or hard:
The Honeymoon Phase: At first it was all novel and exquisite. I felt motivated to design my alter, study chants and my meditation was refreshing and satisfying. This is the period that is usually full of beautiful glimpses of your inner self.
The Desert Phase: Once the novelty was exhausted I entered into what St. John of the Cross has called the dark night of the soul. I was uninspired in my practice, and I was questioning. It is at this point, I have come to realize that the actual change takes place- such as a seed taking its root in dark soil and then stretching out in search of the light.
Surrender and Grace: I slowly started to have the feeling of actual surrender, not a feeling of defeat but of deep peace, through practice. At this phase we have started to open towards Divine Grace-the change of ordinary to Eternal.
Finding My tribe: the Power of Community in Bhakti.
Although bhakti could be done on an individual level, the experience of community has been life-changing. Attending activities such as the Community Philosophy Night in Bhakti Yoga DC or their Ekadashi Kirtan program has given me education and heart-warming experience. They seek to offer, as their mission statement says, an empowering spiritual experience, delivered within an authentic spiritual community, which helps to create deep and loving relationships.
The companionship of other practitioners has enabled me to overcome tough times in my practice and increased the pleasure of beautiful times. It has also reminded me that bhakti is also communal as much as it is personal.
Frequently Asked Questions of Bhakti Yoga.
Am I required to be a Hindu or to believe in any particular god in order to practice bhakti yoga?
Not at all. Bhakti yoga is not sectarian and respects all the authentic spiritual paths. One can practice this towards anything that is the embodiment of the divine that you find worthwhile, be it Krishna, Christ, Allah, the Divine Mother, or something more abstractive, like universal consciousness or love. Your devotion is the point and not the kind of form you are worshipping.
I am no great emotionalist–is bhakti any longer with me?
Yes. Bhakti does not require one to be emotional. It is all about directing all of your emotions which include analytical curiosity towards a greater cause. Although you might not get carried away by the feelings of devotion at first, as one of the teachers remarks, with constant practice, you will be moving in the right direction anyway.
Is it possible to practice other forms of yoga together with bhakti?
Absolutely. Bhakti is used by many practitioners in tandem with other yoga approaches. An example is to do asanas (hatha yoga) with a devotional motive, or the philosophical study (jnana yoga) to aid your bhakti. The trajectories are complementary to one another.
Do I require a teacher to perform bhakti yoga?
Although it can be practiced by researching and practicing books on bhakti, in traditional advice, it is better to learn via those who have experience in it. Having a good teacher or community can be helpful, supportive and uplifting, particularly at times when you run into unavoidable difficulties with your practice.
What should be the time I spend doing bhakti?
Bhakti may be performed during classes (such as meditation or kirtan), as well as during your day. A five-minute mindfulness of mantra or conscious gratitude will do. The good thing about it is that you can begin with the amount of time you have and gradually grow with it as you continue practicing.
Conclusion: Why Bhakti Can Change Your life as well.
My practice of bhakti yoga is still in its developmental stage, but what has not changed is that it has given me a sense of immense meaning and connectedness in my life. Bhakti can be seen as a rope to hold onto in the world that may be disoriented and disconnected. It has not eradicated the issues of life, but it has provided me with means to face them with increased peace, perspective and even joy.
In case you are interested in bhakti yoga, I would suggest that you read bhakti yoga with an open mind. Go to a nearby kirtan, attempt a straightforward mantra meditation or read a Bhagavad Gita passage. Or you may find, as I found, that this old road is just what our hearts in these modern times are seeking.