Bhakti means the path of loving devotion to a particular god or deity, which, it is believed, leads to salvation or nirvana. From the Sanskrit root word bhaj, meaning "to adore or worship God," bhakti forms one of the paths of yoga: Bhakti yoga.

Bhakti is also sometimes described as “love for love’s sake." – taken from yogapedia.com

Throughout history of Christianity and other religions, there have been ordinary women and men whose intense direct experience of God in prayer has magnified their love and longing for God. These are ordinary in the sense that while they spent time in extended time in prayer, they also lived in society and worked in everyday kind of jobs as poets, pastors, social workers, caretakers of the poor and sick, nuns, monks, husbands, wives, cooks, and janitors.

Their experiences of Divine presence through prayer drew them deeper into longing for loving union with God. They were also drawn deeper into awareness of their own otherness, their separation from God. Rather than driving them away, their experiences of separation intensified their longing, leading them to return over and over to prayer, and to experience more mercy, beauty and love.

“Lord, you are my lover, my longing, my flowing stream, my sun, and I am your reflection.” --Mechtild of Magdeburg

Each week, we will learn about one of these Christian mystics and weave their prayers into our yoga asana and centering prayer to awaken our own sense of presence, of love for and even union with God.