BHAKTI YOGA

WHAT DOES BHAKTI YOGA MEAN?

Bhakti yoga is one of the four classical schools of yoga alongside Jnana (knowledge or self-study), Karma (action) and Raja (meditation), each offering a path to moksha (spiritual liberation) and self-realization. As American yoga matures, interest in bhakti yoga has exploded. The Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California, holds an annual bhakti festival. Yoga Tree in San Francisco held the Bhakti Yoga Sunsplash, a celebration with music. And Bhakti Fest is another yoga festival worth attending. As you tap into this universal love, you naturally develop a sense of trust that this benevolent, wise universe provides; you relax; and you can’t help but generate positive energy for others. In its purest form, bhakti burns like a devotional fire in the heart. An early and extreme example of a bhakti yogi comes from the 12th century, when a 10-year-old girl named Akka Mahadevi shunned childhood games and instead became a devotee of Shiva, the Hindu deity known as the aspect of destructive forces. Bhakti yoga involves surrendering to the Divine or uniting with the universal consciousness, through practices such as chanting, singing, dancing and selfless service within the community. In a beautiful way, bhakti yoga values love and tolerance, which was revolutionary in the conventional caste system of India. Traditionally, women stayed home and only upper-caste men undertook serious spiritual study. But texts show that everyone, of whatever gender or class, was welcome to embrace bhakti practices. Bhakti Yoga’s uniqueness lies in its confrontation with the rigid caste system and breaking it down to reach everyone. Lower caste women, who are usually placed at the lowest of the social strata, were part of the bhakti traditions too, making it a revolutionary path.  19가이드03

THE BENEFITS OF BHAKTI YOGA

1. Bhakti Yoga softens your personality and keeps you away from negative emotions like anger, ego, and arrogance.
2. It gives you peace and knowledge.
3. You feel joyous and blissful through Bhakti Yoga.
4. It takes away worry, anxiety, and fear and keeps you calm.
5. Bhakti Yoga reduces your sorrows and pains.
6. It will give you an experience of the divine.
7. Bhakti Yoga helps you control your senses and handle tough situations with ease.