Bhakti yoga is considered the realization path easier to follow
"Those who concentrate their minds on Me, I love being always united to Me with intense faith and supreme devotion. I consider them perfect knowers of Yoga "(BGXII, 26)

"Only by devotional service can know Me, the Supreme Lord, and know what they are and who they are. And he who becomes fully conscious of Me with such devotion, quickly enters into the Divine "(BG XVIII, 55)

Bhakti yoga, which is devoted primarily to the twelfth chapter of the Bhagavadgita, is one of the four paths of yoga that have as their ultimate goal the realization of the Absolute. The Sanskrit term bhakti has no exact equivalent in European languages ​​and, though it is often talked about by the as the "yoga of devotion," Bhakti is a concept much broader and difficult to translate. The translation seems to be closer to that of "Absolute Love for the Divine."

Although elements of the bhakti path can be traced in the ancient Vedas, dating as far back to the XV-XVI century movements originated in the south-east of India, in the state of Tamil Nadu. Jayadeva (XI-XII century.) Vallabhadeva (XV cent.), Rupa Gosvamin (XVI c.), Jiva Gosvamin (XVI c.) And Jagannatha panditaraja (XVII sec.) Were the thinkers who gave important aspect of bhakti in their poems, and disseminating the principles in all over India.

The b.y. realization is considered the easiest path to follow, because it does not require any special intellectual aptitudes. Because of its simplicity many teachers consider most suitable for those who live in our age of Kali Yuga, because in each of us there is a part bhakti that can be awakened in various ways such as reading of sacred texts, the practice of 'hatha yoga or contacts with people who practice by

The bhakta yogi believes in something greater than he who has a creative power of the Universe, and Absolute Love. Often gives him a name or form: God, Allah, Goddess Kali, Shiva. He devotes much time to prayer, places of worship, in singing the praises of His Divinity reference, but not the only search rites and prayers, because he sees her everywhere. The Divine sits in his heart and from there the bhakta yogi look at every aspect of life. He is fair-minded, and sees the Divine in every place, person and event of life, whether they realize his desires, whether it embodies his aversions.

His devotion is sincere and from the heart, does not originate in the fear of divine punishment or the desire to get something. The bhakta yogi and loves it. It is a feeling much more full of love for people and things earthly. He feels that the whole universe obeys Love. Daily events associated with the presence of the Divine and reminds all his gestures. His is a feeling that total rises to complete self-sacrifice, in complete confidence and trust Universal Love. As a result of this neglect, he is a person serene and at peace, living in harmony with nature and with others and is full of love and compassion towards all living beings.

The attitude of the devotee is the offer. He offers to the Divine all the actions and the whole existence. Sometimes he speaks with the Divine as if it were a friend or loved one. Every devotee chooses the form of bhakti that feels closer to his nature: there are those who prefer to sing the Divine (kirtanam), who remember Him (smaranam) also repeating his name (japa: recitation of mantras), who devote themselves to the rites and ceremonies (arcanam), who to prayer (Vandanam), who silence and listening (svaranam), who dedicate themselves to others (pada sevanam). In these modes Srimad Bagavatan adds three more (for a total of nine ways to worship the Divine): the living community of devotees (sakyam), all serve with humility (dasyam) and submission (atma-nivedanam).

Theologians and philosophers have disquisito about what is the best way to reach the Absolute, and some occasionally raised objections on '"authenticity" of the path of bhakti yoga because while other paths in the desire is to create a formless Absolute , immaterial and eternal, the Divine bhakti often are given a name and form, as a personal God who manifests in the world (avatar). It is the same doubts expressed by Arjuna in the Gita: "Among the devotees who, always united with you in spirit, in this way you love and those (the jnana yogi) who adore the Unchangeable, the Unmanifest, which are the most experienced yoga? "(BG XII, 1).

In reality there is no difference in importance between the paths of yoga, all have equal rank as all realize the same goal: union with the Absolute. Unlike what happens for the jnana yogi, the Absolute of the bhakta yogi does not need to be known or shown as it is intellectually incarnation of Universal Love and for Love exists and is also experienced in this life, God is Love and ', without any doubt.

On a spiritual level, there is no difference between the pure knowledge of jnana marga (path of knowledge) and the pure love of the bhakta marga. The bakta y. does not make "less" than the jnana yogi who knows the Absolute Unity and Bhrahman impersonal, because he is not "dual", distinguishing between the Material World and the Divine, but, on the contrary, he finds in his vision of God, which often has a shape, the path that leads him to perceive the Absolute infinite, eternal and formless.

The bhakta yogi does not live the separation of duality, but experiences the fulfillment of total union. He lives in Love Absolute, and in total entrusting him abandon his Ego, to completely dissolve the boundaries of self-perceived only by virtue of the ego and erroneous knowledge and merge with the All, radiant Infinite Love and Peace .

Like any other action, the practice of asanas can be bhakti. If you practice with an open heart, full of devotion, self-sacrifice and humility, love enters in practice, the abandonment of the heart enters the body and gives them much more quickly. The force of the body that is acquired as the asanas not feed the pride, but the infinite space within the heart. It opens the door to empathy and compassion.

It is then that all progress in the practice of asanas will no longer be food Ego: motivation of superiority and separation but will become Yoga, Union with other beings and the entire Universe.