What is Bhakti Yoga?
For as long as I can remember Iâve wanted singing lessons to help perfect my less than average singing voice. Since discovering Bhakti Yoga and devotional chanting though, Iâve come to appreciate my voice as an extension of my heart rather than something [else] I need to change about myself.
This powerful realisation has shifted my approach to chanting from needing to perform or sound a certain way, to it being a heart-felt, meditative practice that lands me in the present moment and frees me from the constant chatter of my mind.
But, Bhakti Yoga is so much more than that. Itâs a devotional path to self-realisation that has transformed me like no other spiritual practice has. It is beautiful in its simplicity and accessible to everyone! So letâs dive inâŠ
So, what exactly is Bhakti Yoga?!
Bhakti Yoga is one of the four traditional paths of Yoga as prescribed in ancient Indian Hindu texts. The Bhagavad Gita describes Bhakti Yoga as being a method to attain liberation from suffering, alongside Raja-Yoga, Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga.
The term stems from the Sanskrit root bhaj, meaning "to serve" or "to participate. Another definition of Bhakti I have read is âunconditional love for the Supreme Being and deep compassion for others.â
Often referred to as âYoga of the heartâ, Bhakti Yoga is best enacted through love and service. Practices of Bhakti Yoga include meditation, the study of ancient texts + scriptures in the quest for spiritual knowledge and devotional chanting.
The more popular and widely practised Raja-Yoga that youâd experience in most Yoga studios around the world, includes the practice of asana, pranayama and meditation, prescribes an eight-limbed system. It is said to lead to the same state of liberation. Also known in an of itself as âYogaâ.
A common definition of Yoga is âto yokeâ. But have you ever wondered what is you are practising Yoga to âyokeâ with? Well, according to the Jivamukti Yoga method (NYC), Yoga is defined as âto remember God.
OkayâŠstay with me.
For the sake of easing any preconceived notions we may have around the word, letâs just say that âGodâ can be whatever you want it to be. Acknowledging that there is something âelseâ simply honours that there is a more powerful, cosmic force at play here in our lives. And most of us on this path of Yoga have sensed that this is true. A force which is separate to the physical world and something that cannot be seen nor felt. In this example, God is formless and at the same time, limitless and is the very essence which underpins all of creation.
Some other names or terms commonly used in Yoga to reference God include: Universal Consciousness, The Divine, The Supreme Being, Isvara or Brahman. The practice of Yoga is overcoming the small, egoic self to remember the existence of the Higher Self, which is the stuff of creation. SoâŠYoga is telling us we are already divine! Well, arenât we??!!
Actually, how you choose to define God doesnât really matter. Whatâs more important to understand is that Bhakti Yoga is a heart-led, devotional, spiritual practice through which you connect with this force and to the unconditional bounty of love that resides within you.
Letâs explore chanting as a practice of Bhakti Yoga a little deeperâŠ
Join one of Amyâs Jivamukti classes at YC for a good olâ fashioned chant!
CHANTING IN YOGA
According to Hinduism, to chant mantra is a way of re-connecting with âGodâ as you know it and all that you already are. To me, this is one of the most profound teachings of Yoga and Hinduism in which the practice is steeped.
Hinduism prescribes countless names for God (or Brahman). One of my Yoga teachers explains beautifully that this is because the Divine was so expansive it wouldnât fit into just one form. The Upanishads (ancient Sanskrit texts) tells us that Braham is âas bright as millions of suns rising simultaneously.â WowâŠ
As such, in Hinduism there are thousands of different names for God starting with the three head honchos: âBrahmaâ the Creator, âVishnuâ the Preserver and âShivaâ the Destroyer.
Other popular names for God that youâve probably heard include Krishna, Rama, Govinda, Ganesha and Hanuman. Some of the more well known feminine avatars of the Divine to whom we chant include Saraswati, Kali + Durga. All avatars of the Divine, be them masculine or feminine, embody different qualities from which we can learn to be better humans. So, when we chant to them, weâre invoking a specific energy or intention.
We also chant mantra for the same reason we meditate or breathe mindfully. To connect with a glimpse of clarity and peace, so that when the proverbial sh*t hits the proverbial fan, we can take ourselves back to this place and manage any problem, loss, trauma or challenge more ably. US Kirtan artist Krishna Das says: âWe donât practice for the easy stuff. We practice for the hard stuff.â
WHAT OR WHO DO WE CHANT TO IN YOGA?
Well, weâre chanting to God as you know it. But equally, as a way of remembering youâre made of Divine light and Supreme goodness. Love. That is, you donât need to spend your whole life searching for love and validation because love is what you already are, and that which connects us all. Thereâs sweetness in this.
It has been my own experience that mantra awakens the love within us.
Why chant in Sanskrit?
We chant in Sanskrit because it is the ancient language of Yoga. Prayers to the Divine were heard in Sanskrit by ancient rishis and sages as they sat in deep states of meditation thousand of years ago. Then scribed in ancient Hindu texts so that these mantras carry throughout history and remain an important aspect of Hinduism and of course Yoga.
What are the benefits of CHANTING?
Healing through vibration: Sanskrit is a vibrational language. Meaning, each word in the Sanskrit alphabet has a resonant quality that we feel in the physical body and mind as we speak them. This is why it doesnât really matter that you donât get the mantra 100% perfect. You will still receive the vibrational benefit which penetrates and heals the body at a deep cellular level.
Dusting off the heart: When we chant the names of the Divine, we drop straight into the energy of the heart and clear out stuck or repressed emotions that stop us from connecting with our truest and most authentic self. When weâre in the heart, weâre no longer a slave to the workings of the mind.
Breathing in life: Chanting makes us breathe in a way that is mindful and complete. Chanting, like singing, requires us to breathe deeply whereby moving the body to the calm side of our nervous system and affirming us in the present moment.
WHY IS MANTRA REPEATED?
Mantras are most often repeated for the mediative qualities of doing so. This form of meditation is called japa. Repeating the Ganesha mantra: âOm gam ganaypatye namahaâ will be most effective when done so in repetition. Acclaimed teacher and author of The Wisdom of Yoga, Stephen Cope calls this âtying the puppy [mind] to a post.â It is only after chanting it again (and againâŠand againâŠand again) that the meaning of the word mantra starts to ring true:
man (mind) - tra (traverse)
It is only through repetition of the names of the Divine that we work to cross over and protect the mind, unite with the Divine and ultimately remember who we are. The vibrational name of the Divine gives our mind something else to focus on instead of the loop of negative and Self-destructive thoughts. And who wouldnât want that??
In Bhakti Yoga, mantra are considered to be âsongs of Loveâ.
YC Founder Amy and myself sharing the practice of Kirtan on retreat in Bali earlier this year. đ
WHAT IS KIRTAN?
Kirtan the practice of chanting the names of the Divine, both in its masculine and feminine forms, to music or song.
The Sanskrit word Kirtan means âpraiseâ.
The most common classical musical instrument used in Kirtan is the harmonium. If youâve ever attended a Jivamukti Yoga class with Founder Amy Leonard-King at the Yoga Corner studio, youâll know what I am talking about.
âKirtan is the calling, the crying, the reaching across infinite space â digging into the heartâs deepest well to touch and be touched by the Divine Presence.â
Chanting in the form of Kirtan will most often give the mantra a melody which makes it easier to remember and as such is experienced on a much more profound level.
Kirtan is usually practiced in a group creating a blessed union of hearts and souls.
HOW CAN I START CHANTING?
Speak to your favourite Yoga teacher and ask them for advice on which mantra they think would be suited to your situation or circumstance. Or start with the scared mantra, Om. Join in at the start or close of class or even try chanting it silently to yourself for the same effect.
Or why not start with me right now! Join in with me as I chant Jaya Bhagavan.
Jaya which means victory, Bhagavan which is another name for the Divine Spirit and the beautiful, personal, loving and loveable aspect of the Supreme Being.. When chanted together in repetition we are calling out to our own Divine Spirit within. To the great love that we are.
Om
Jaya Bhagavan
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
Hare Om
Happy chanting Yogis!
With love + light đâš
Lydia