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Insight The Joy of Devotion

By Jennie Lee The questions I focused on with each which teaches devotion as part of in kriya individual were “How do we practice devo- action ( yoga), I could see that just hakti feeling is the practice of selfless tion?” and “What does devotion require devoted was not enough. It also B devotional directed to one from us?” Prior to this exploration, I had requires right effort ( ). This makes supreme divinity. If is not in thought of devotion as more of a feeling sense in terms of any relationship; your belief system, then perhaps consider state that expressed itself naturally has to be backed up with intentional as devotion to the energy of univer- through the love that I held for a person or action. If we want to have a deep and ful- sal love. a . But in studying 2.1, filling connection to someone, it is not

Emphasizing an all-surrendering love as the means for communion with the divine, bhakti is one aspect of yoga prac- tice that can facilitate the state of unity , or , according to the Yoga of . The literal meaning of bhakti, according to Monier- 2 Williams' Dictionary, is "attach- ment, participation, devotion to, fondness for, homage, , or love, worship, piety to (as a religious principle or means of ).” Some outer forms of bhakti yoga that are popular today include (call and response) chanting, repe- tition, and ceremonial dedications to one's preferred concept of the divine. These human , like any religious rites, when infused with loving attention bring us closer to union, but if performed mechani- cally become void of meaning. too can be a undertaken with deep devotion or it can be a perfunctory discipline.

Recently, several of my yoga therapy clients were struggling with their medita- tion practice. They are all committed prac- titioners, but each felt stagnant and want- ed more than just a half hour of focused sitting. One of the clients had no formal religious belief system; one had a Catholic background but was not currently attend- ing church; and one expressed that she experienced a limited sense of the divine through nature. All of them wanted to gain a greater personal sense of what the divine is, how they were connected to it, and how a deeper understanding might help them find greater peace and purpose in their meditation practice and in their lives. So, I decided to explore with them the practice of devotion, or , as a way to enrich their experience.

28 YogaTherapyToday | Winter 2016 www.iayt.org Insight continued

enough to simply love them from afar—a movement. We discipline ourselves to full comprehension in exchange for a frustrating energetic divide remains if take time and energy away from the nor- seemingly intangible experience. there is no communication or activity mal outward focus that commands the between us. For a satisfying relationship, majority of our daily attention. We surren- The client who perceived the divine we must spend time with them, listen to der our constant need for stimulation and through nature had the greatest result. I them, and take action to love them in pleasure by withdrawing the senses from asked her to remember a moment when ways that are meaningful to them. Our the outside world ( ) and we turn she felt suffused with joy in nature. She inner devotional focus fuels the outer ourselves inward to experience personal described a certain cast of light she had dharana expression of our love in personal and communion with the divine ( ). This seen at sunrise one morning. Then I unique ways. inner focus is an essential companion to asked her to use this image as her point The Yoga Sutra on outer yoga practices. And it is a step in the of focus in meditation for two weeks. She Pranidhana direction of liberation from all suffering and practiced concentrating wholeheartedly on the expansion of our individual conscious- a brilliant light within. By doing so, she samadhi ness that is . began to connect to the same feeling of To help my clients learn how to build this awe she felt in nature during her time of personal connection through the active The second aspect of surrender is in meditation. Following from this, she began yoga of devotion, we began discussing a the realm of thought. Once physically still to experience more open-heartedness and few translations of Yoga Sutra 2.45. in meditation, we discipline the mind to get a general feeling of greater love. quiet through meditative techniques such “Through wholehearted dedication (Isvara as breath awareness or control, mantra The client with no religious back- Pranidhana) we become intoxicated with repetition, and visualization. Another way ground had previously practiced a mindful- the Divine.” to shift out of thinking and into heart-cen- ness-based form of meditation that includ- “By total surrender to God, Samadhi is tered awareness is to focus on a spiritual ed a cognitive aspect. I asked her to try attained.”1 quality such as or a represen- approaching her practice with the intention tation of the divine in order to inspire love. of opening the channel of divine connec- “Absolute surrender and devotion to the This is tricky because, although it is easy tion. She worked on her inner willingness Divine enables freedom.” to think about the things or people we to receive and to be content with the mys- love, many yoga students don't have any tery of what lies beyond known experi- ence, without the need to understand it all Following the , we practice being from a cognitive perspective. She reported having moments of deeper peace during even-minded in both joy and suffering, tranquil meditation and some strong intuitive mes- before friend and foe, equanimous with both sages that helped with career and rela- praise and insult, pure in heart, and willing to see tionship challenges. God at work in every moment of our lives. Finally, the client with a Catholic upbringing noticed ways in which she fears approaching the divine. She has Overall, this sutra indicates that the personal sense of the divine and therefore tried to incorporate the aspects of her reli- intended devotional focus is the divine don't feel love for It. So the question aris- gious background that feel true and loving essence, or God, and that bliss, expan- es, “How do we practice devotion to some- as a bridge over to a bhakti meditation sion, and omniscience are the rewards of thing that we don't even know? And this practice. I have encouraged her to focus that devotion. Some secular translations leads to the next aspect of surrender— on love in whatever way she experiences express that pure awareness leads us to surrendering the need to know. it and to hold that energy as her focus in full integration. It is clear from the various meditation. She finds this practice enables translations that a big part of devotional From the standpoint of the limited her to be more open and receptive during practice has to do with surrender. But what human mind, it is impossible to know the meditation. surrender does mean here? And what infinitude of the divine. Yet we can have a exactly are we being asked to surrender? personal experience of it if we surrender As all three of my clients are finding, thought and the need to intellectually the greatest devotional offering of all is the Aspects of Surrender know into devotion. This is where all three surrender of the personal self. We offer of my clients had the most difficulty. It is our , fears, attachments, percep- First, when we come to seated meditation human nature to want to comprehend our tions, thoughts, feelings, sense of being practice, we surrender our bodily actions experience, yet in this case they were separate, and our need to know on the in the world; we give up our habitual being asked to give up the possibility of altar of meditative devotion to the higher Self. www.iayt.org YogaTherapyToday | Winter 2016 29 Insight continued

The Path of Devotion 3. Determine your style of bhakti practice. ence of God in all beings and in all circum- stances. Following the Bhagavad Gita, we Fortunately, since by definition the divine practice being even-minded in both joy Experiment with different bhakti practices. essence is understood to be within all, and suffering, tranquil before friend and When you find one that resonates in your seen or unseen, there are innumerable foe, equanimous with both praise and in- heart and inspires joy and love, stick with ways to walk the path of devotion. Any sult, pure in heart, and willing to see God it for an extended period of time to allow way that we choose to keep our minds at work in every moment of our lives. In for full saturation. the quiet moments of meditation, we can and our eyes fixed on and perceiving God 4. Use every moment as an opportunity. is just fine, just so long as it brings us to more effortlessly slip into inner communion and love, along with loving with the divine beloved and enjoy the bliss 5 action. The Bhagavad Gita explains that it of bhakti. A fulfilling relationship of recipro- If we keep devotional love in our hearts as is easier to comprehend and become cal love is formed and meditation becomes we engage in daily life, it changes the fla- devoted to God in manifested forms, to rich with ever-expanding joy and peace. vor of all our interactions. Whether feeling connect personally to the infinite through This has been my experience of medita- joyful or challenged, we can ask our- its expression as mother, father, friend, or tion since I began focusing deeply on the selves, “How is this person or situation an . However, it is entirely possible to devotional aspect of practice. My clients opportunity to practice wholehearted adore God in formlessness as well have found that it was easier to remain devotion to the divine?” committed to daily practice with this focus. through the qualities of love, peace, com- 5. Enjoy the sweetness of surrender. passion, or joy. They have also experienced

The greatest devotional offering of all is the Within the practice of devotion is deep rest. We find that we can relax as we sur- surrender of the personal self. render the ultimate control over life and the flow of our unfolding to universal love. By letting go of the ego's constant To create a living, working relationship less pressure to achieve anything and demands, desires, and stories, we enjoy with the divine that is meaningful to us, we more ability to receive through meditation more of the that bhakti yoga might need to strip away old concepts of instead. As a result of practicing the sur- brings. Meditation becomes less of a dis- God that were passed to us from others. If render of self as a devotional offering, we cipline and more of a celebratory joy. As your perception of God feels limiting in all felt greater joy and freedom from emo- we offer our devotion to the divine source any way, it may be time to surrender that tional attachments. of all life,YTT we are filled in return with boun- thought and open to the possibility of a tiful love. new experience of the divine in your medi- To summarize the process of establishing References tation practice. The release of limiting a meaningful, heart-centered bhakti prac- 1. Satchidananda, S. (2012). The (p. 140). Buckingham, VA: Publications. beliefs or dogmas with the intention of tice or to help a client open to the bountiful 2. Monier-Williams, M. (1899). A Sanskrit-English diction- expanding awareness through devotion is blessings of devotion, consider these five ary: Etymologically and philologically arranged with special powerful surrender practice. elements: reference to cognate Indo-European languages. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press. Inner Renunciation 1. Be clear about what you are devoted to. 3. Joy , N. (2007). The secret power of yoga (p. 220). New York, NY: Three Rivers Press. 4. Lee, J. (2016). True yoga: Practicing with the Yoga Sutras for happiness and spiritual fulfillment (p. 139). Woodbury, Another way of practicing bhakti yoga is Ask yourself this question: “What am I MN: Llewellyn Worldwide. by inwardly dedicating all action to God. most dedicated to?” For some, the answer 5. Yogananda, P. (2008). The yoga of the Bhagavad Gita (p. This inner renunciation can be performed may be a child or spouse, a creative pas- 126). Los Angeles, CA: Self Realiza-tion Fellowship. by householder as well as by renun- sion or career. For others, it may be per- sonal growth or . Or it ciants or monastics. When we acknowl- Jennie Lee is the edge God as the only doer of all actions, may be the divine in whatever form or faith author of then we recognize that the divine is the they hold dear. True Yoga: Practicing with the only rightful recipient of all results of those 2. Set your priorities. actions and through this understanding we Yoga Sutras for Happi- ness and Spiritual Ful- keep devotion in heart and mind through- (Llewellyn fillment out the day. In this way, we become mas- Rank your answers to the question above Worldwide, January terful at nonattachment and contentment in terms of how much time and energy you 2016). Specializing in Yoga Therapy for ( ). give to each. Is this a good balance? 17 years, Jennie's writings are featured in , and more.Huffington She Post,counsels Mind by Body Skype Green inter- As we release personal attachments and nationally. www.jennieleeyogatherapy.com expectations, we begin to see the pres-

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