Bhakti Yoga
Over the years, Bhakti Yoga is considered as the system that has the greatest emphasis on love and devotion. In fact, there are Bhakti Yoga traditions that do not teach asana, pranayama, mudra or controlled meditation which are the main practices of the traditional yoga but rather, love of God, love of God in man, and surrender to God’s will is more stressed out. The same also with the balance recommended: devotion balanced with reason and love balanced with understanding.
Performing Bhakti Yoga
Performing Bhakti yoga actually does not have any rules. Some can just even use simple external aids that can contribute to their devotional attitude, just for an instance an altar that can be used during prayer and meditation, pictures of saints to serve as an inspiration, use of voice for chanting or singing and use of mantra or even a simple devotional ceremony to aid in creating great ambiance for sincere meditation.
Hence, with Bhakti Yoga you can use whatever approach. You just have to make sure that approach is useful in the long run. Singing the names of God aloud is a good approach as it can elevate consciousness, clear the mind and even charge the environment with pure energy. On the other hand, if you are a person who find it difficult to concentrate during meditation and the calm discernment approach is too elusive, prayer and chanting can be a great alternative approach.
Practicing Bhakti Yoga
Nevertheless, it is in our everyday life that Bhakti Yoga is truly practiced. Most especially if we are loving, compassionate, prayerful, fair and helpful with others.
Likely, it is in simple, direct prayer which you can truly practice Bhakti Yoga as it is the most effective way of just merely talking to God and solely expressing your love and devotion. Hence, the teaching is that by willingness, love and devotion that we can open ourselves to the Reality of God and attract God’s consciousness into our very own.
Always do remember love and devotion will purify your human nature and will clean your mind and the emotional area. So consequently, there can be no dislike, hate, jealousy, envy, fear or disfavor in the human loving heart at all.
Emphasis of Bhakti Yoga
Most of the time, Bhakti Yoga does not give full attention to asanas, pranayamas and the like but focuses more on love and devotion one can give and offer to God and to others. It normally does not have plenty of physical benefits but it entails a lot of spiritual benefits which is likely more important than any thing else. After all life is not about your physical body, looks, etc. Physical health is significant but spiritual health is far more significant.