Bhakti Yoga-
My Spiritual Practice
Krishna (God)
What is Bhakti Yoga?
Bhakti and yoga are concepts in Sanskrit, an ancient spiritual language, bhakti means loving devotion and yoga means to connect. Bhakti yoga can also be explained as loving devotional service that connects us to Krishna (God).
Within this spiritual practice we worship in a very personal way both the divine masculine and the divine feminine: Krishna and Radha. At the center of creation They dance in Love and ask us to join Them!
The five most important practices in Bhakti are:
keeping friendship with holy people
chanting the Holy Names like the Maha Mantra
hearing or reading wisdom texts like the Bhagavad Gita or Srimad Bhagavatam
honoring the sacred form of the Lord in pictures or Deity forms
making your home a sacred space
These teachings were brought to the West by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
What is the Maha Mantra?
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
Maha Mantra means the great chant. With it, we recite the Holy Names of God: Hare, Krishna, & Rama.
Hare means remover of illusion as well as Hara, another name for Sri Radha, the divine feminine.
Krishna means all attractive.
Rama means source of all pleasure.
When we chant or sing these names we call out to God as the divine couple asking, "Please engage me in your service!" In the hope that with that service we can grow our love for Them and uncover our true spiritual selves.
Additional Resources
Bhakti Center - When we lived in NYC this was our spiritual home, a spiritual oasis in a concrete jungle. We still connect via the online classes and community.
Urban Devi - an in-person and online community of Bhakti women. I attend the monthly sangas and Rukmini Devi Dasi, (Rukmini Walker) the founder, is a very dear spiritual teacher to me.
ISKCON - official website of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Great way to learn more about my spiritual family and ways you can connect locally.