Yoga is that which connects. The process of connecting the Soul to the Divine in a proper bond is called Yoga. Bhakti represents the path of pure devotion.
Jnana yoga is knowing about the Divine through knowledge. Karma Yoga is the process of performing activity. Bhakti yoga is the process of falling in love with the Divine.
We can understand this by a small mundane example. Whenever a person likes someone there are a few steps the person follows. Firstly one wants to know more about the person. Secondly the person thinks about the beloved and would then like to please the beloved. Similarly in the spiritual realm too, knowing the Divine through knowledge is Jnana Yoga. Thinking about the divine is Dhyaan Yoga and serving the Lord through service is Karma Yoga.
Bhakti means Devotion and Yoga is Joining or Union. So we join to the self within through the process of devotion.
Bhakti Yoga is the yoga of Devotion. It is the practice of having a personal relationship with the Supreme Absolute. It is a deep yearning to experience love in its purest and highest form, to unite with that which is eternal and unchanging.
The Bhakti Sutras explain that bhakti yoga is both the means and the end: It is the way to cultivate and deepen devotion, and is union with the Divine-the ultimate goal.
The path of bhakti yoga allows us to use all of our senses, all of our emotions, and all of our actions to express love in our daily interactions and offer them to whatever form of God suits our individual personalities and cultural upbringing, whether it be Krishna, Christ, Allah, Yahweh, Hanuman, the Divine Mother, or some other aspect.
It is having the courage to face ourselves at the deepest levels of our being, and offer everything we are to the Divine, both the good and the bad, without holding anything back. And it is the complete dedication and surrender of everything we do in our daily lives as acts of worship.
The timeless path of divine love is as alive and relevant today as it was in the days of the ancient sages. Through this path, we can transform our everyday life from the mundane to the sacred, from the trivial to the profound. By cultivating the principles of love, compassion, gratitude, surrender, and selfless service, we can prepare our hearts and minds to receive the grace of unconditional love and wisdom. Then we become the instruments of the Divine, and everything we do is an expression of love and devotion. Our lives become a joyful celebration
