How to Do Bhakti Yoga

To Westerners, yoga usually means a series of stretching exercises that culminates with some sort of resting period or invitation to meditate. Yoga is actually a name for spiritual practices that come from India, and practicing yoga does not always mean physical exercise. Bhakti yoga is an exercise of the heart, soul and mind; it is unlikely that bhakti practice will resemble the familiar hatha yoga positions that are so popular in Western culture today. The steps below introduce the practice of bhakti yoga, which is a process defined by each individual, so part of the journey is to figure out what your route should be.

Instructions

1

Understand that bhakti yoga is a spiritual practice based on love of God and devotion to God. The word "bhakti" means "love of God."

2

Learn about the various ways in which you can become closer to God and experience the feeling of such devotion.

3

Understand that bhakti yoga focuses on remembering God in all incarnations and making efforts never to forget God.

4

Explore the idea of working with a guru. A guru can provide you with information, readings and guidance and can share his personal philosophy of God with you so that you can get closer to God. A guru can also help you determine if a mantra will help you during this process.

5

Serve God by paying your respects to sacred representations of God, whether they take the form of a temple, a picture, an altar or a small object of your choice.

6

Learn the traditional prayers of bhakti yoga and read them, memorize them and repeat them in honor of God.