Exploring the Bhakti path of love & devotion to find deeper meaning in life is simpler than you think…

As we embark upon the yogic pathways, it is important to examine the reasons why we are seeking in the first place. The main issue, according to the Bhakti yoga path, is that we are disconnected from the sacredness and divinity of the Universe. (Indeed, even the Christian faith recognizes this as the root of original sin.)

When we see ourselves as something separate, we sink into the mundane, and it is easy to forget that we are a part of something bigger. Living in this disconnected manner is difficult, and it leaves us yearning for a deeper sense of purpose and meaning than what we find in our everyday lives.

To walk the Bhakti path, we are asked to purify ourselves of egoistic self-love and separation by focusing our minds on sacred thoughts. While this may sound challenging, in fact, it can be a lot simpler than you may think. For example, according to Ekhart Yoga:

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 before you get out of bed. It could be an acknowledgment of the aliveness in your breath and in your heartbeat, or simply noticing the innate beauty in a flower or the sunshine.

Another good example could be giving thanks for the food you are about to eat (“saying grace”), using a chant or mantra during your meditation practice to connect yourself with the Divine. However, practicing gratitude and appreciation is only the beginning…

The tricky part is to notice when the sacred love has been discovered and then turn that gaze inward, so that one realizes that the Divinity and reverence one feels toward something external is actually the very same, sacred love which resides within one’s own heart.

The Bhakti then becomes the recognizing of the very same Divinity that weaves itself into EVERYTHING that exists, including ourselves! In this way, the differentiation between seer, seeing, and seen dissolves, and what is left is only sacred and divine One-ness.

Learn more about Bhakti yoga and the 4 pathways at EkhartYoga.com…