Bhakti Yoga Journey Pt 1

Namaste! It's been some months since I've posted here - If you're from Grand Forks you probably know that I left last fall to Central America - Nosara, Costa Rica - to help my friend and fellow Yoga teacher Sasha Dae host a 216 hour yoga teacher training. We had a small group training during the month of October (which is full on rainy season there). What better way to spend a rainy month in the tropics than practicing yoga, reading philosophy, making healthy food and enjoying the beautiful scenery? After the training was completed, it was time to rest for a while...November is still quiet in Nosara, the locals take advantage of the rainy season to rest up before tourists start arriving en masse in December for yoga and surf retreats. Wow - once December came it was full on! Sasha and I both offered bodywork treatments to surfers and tourists with great success, taught some private yoga classes, and even had a go at surfing! Ok, i said had a go! I thought that I would do some traveling in Central and South America - but the Divine had other plans for me. In early January we hosted some devotees - also known as Hare Krisnas - or Bhakti Yogis. Now to be honest, I had only ever seen Hare Krsnas on the street, singing away, and had never stopped to find out what they were all about. I had heard of Bhakti Yoga, but didn't really understand what it was. But here I was, in Costa Rica, and they came to me! We spent 10 days doing kirtan in Nosara, and I had the opportunity to learn a bit more about this ancient devotional practice of yoga. 

Previously, in all my yoga training, the focus was on hatha/raja yoga - working with the body and breath, linking up heart and mind, understanding the connections between physical, emotional and mental stress and discovering tools to facilitate well-being. This all linked in with my healing arts training in reflexology, herbal medicine, nutrition, energy healing etc. I felt that I had a really good toolbox to help myself and others live a more peaceful, creative and positive life. 

However, I had always had wondered about having a Guru - a realised teacher - who could guide me in the higher teachings of my culutre and spiritual practice. I had never been able to decipher the Vedas- the ancient scriptures that describe the philosophy of yoga - I tried to read them but just couldn't relate. 

Then I started talking with the devotees that were our guests in Nosara. Wow! They knew so many verses from the Vedas, and could explain them! And the songs - wow, they were amazing. I was inspired to know more...so what's this bhakti yoga all about then, I asked...According to scripture, bhakti is the highest form of trancendental knowledge - beyond Jnana (impersonal knowledge of the divine) beyond the yoga of meditation, beyond karma yoga, or fruitiva activities - is bhakti - the yoga of devotional service to the divine. Bhaktas relish a personal relationship with the divine in the form of Krsna - who is the Supreme Personality of God as described in sastra. It is through devotional service that we become truly happy, and realise our eternal nature. Wow. For years I had been trying to 'meditate' - you know, watch the mind, calm the mind etc etc, to no avail - and not even asking - what is my goal here? What exactly am I trying to realise? Becoming one with the light? and then what happens? I just disappear? That concept didn't really work for me...I knew there had to be something else, something more...In the Sri Isopanishad it is described that the true face of the Supreme is hidden behind his dazzling effulgence (or light):

hiranmayena patrena satyasyapihitam mukham

tat tvam pusann aparvrnu satya dharmaya drstaye

O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee.

So this impersonal conception of the Divine - this 'light' is covering something even more wonderful - the mystery unfolds! The more I heard, the more I wanted to hear - I felt that this was what I had been waiting for in my spiritual life...and as always, the Supreme mercifully gifts us with our deepest desires.

So, what was the next step? I was ready for adventure, ready to learn and felt open to whatever opportunities arose...well where else would I go to meet real Sadhus (pure devotees) and learn about Bhakti Yoga...INDIA...

to be continued :-)