Bhakti Yoga is one of the four main yogic paths to enlightenment. Bhakti means “devotion” or “love” and this path contains various practices to unite the bhakta (Bhakti Yoga practitioner) with the Divine. Bhakti Yoga is considered the easiest yogic path to master and the most direct method to experience the unity of mind, body, and spirit.

 

Bhakti yoga explains that the main issue is that we have disassociated from the sacredness and divinity that encompasses and comprises everything in the Universe, including ourselves. Because of this, we often see ourselves as a separate part of a very mundane world. Bhakti yoga is a practice of selfless devotion and recognition of the sacred or divine in everything. To encourage Bhakti, it is helpful to start by cultivating reverence to something which appears to be separate from one’s self through acknowledgment of the sacred essence within it. 

 

This could be as simple as appreciating the fact that you have woken up each morning. It could be an acknowledgment of the aliveness in your breath. The pulse of your heartbeat. Or simply noticing the innate beauty in a flower or the sunshine. A simple blessing of appreciation for all that goes into the food we eat is another example of Bhakti. On more subtle levels, chanting prayers or mantras is also a lovely way to get in touch with the Divine qualities in the manifest Universe, as well as more elaborate rituals, such as Aarati and puja.