Bhakti yoga is the yoga of devotion. The word bhakti comes from the root ‘bhaja’ which means to adore. serve, love, to be devoted.The word ‘bhakta’ comes from the same root and means ‘a person who practises bhakti yoga, who feels devotion’. It is the method of directing your awareness or feelings into devotion, directed towards a deity or suitable object. In this way emotions are given a way out, instead of suppressing them.The bhakti yogi absorbs himself completely in his object of devotion, absorbing himself in meditative absorption and loses his individuality. Emotional and mental distractions are subdued and the path to realization is opened. And this is exactly what bhakti yoga is all about. It is the path of devotion. Bhakti implies you feel devotion. Bhakti is love that expects no return. Bhakti yoga implies two things: both the path and the experience. A person can be on the path of bhakti yoga and yet have no positive experience of intense bhakti. At the same time, a person can experience intense bhakti, and yet not profess to be on the path of bhakti yoga. As one treads the path of bhakti yoga inspiration for self realization sets in. Bhakti is both the means and the expression of higher awareness. It is both the practice and spontaneous expression of higher knowledge. One leads to the other.
Devotion increases as the awareness of bhakta increases. Until a certain point on the path of bhakti yoga, there is more faith than experience, but once one has had a definite experience then the whole situation changes. One comes to know that there is indeed a direction to ones aspirations and practices. The seed of bhakti lies in every person. The purpose of bhakti is to develop intense concentration towards one object. This occurs spontaneously if there is a feeling of bhakti or devotion towards that object. All one’s energy is focussed in one direction. This in turn leads to higher sensitivity and receptivity of the mind-body to higher forces. Bhakti purifies the mind. One becomes a bhakta through experience and not only by belief. Bhakti is an excellent method of providing a balance to over-rigid attachment to the intellect and a means of giving directions to release emotions and feelings. Bhakti grows naturally as your awareness grows.The path of bhakti provides a perfect method of expressing these unruly emotions. The emotions are not only released, they are chanelled towards the mind making it one-pointed. The emotions are directed towards the goal of higher awareness and experience. If one is devotionally inclined then one can follow the path of bhakti yoga. This involves intense concentration of one’s entire being on an object of devotion. This method of bhakti yoga can eventually lead to a transcendental experience of overwhelming bhakti. Associated with this bhakti is transcendental knowledge. This bhakti will become stronger and stronger with time and more experience. If one is not devotionally inclined, then the other paths of yoga can be followed instead. These other paths will eventually lead to spiritual experience. This in turn will automatically lead to bhakti.