Video: What is Bhakti? With David Newman, Donna De Lory and friends

Since I work for Bhakti Fest, live around the corner from Bhakti Yoga Shala (3 kirtans a week!), and most of my friends are Bhakti Yogis, "Bhakti" is a word I hear a lot. Bhakti Bhakti Bhakti! However, defining "Bhakti" is like trying to define Yoga itself. It is a large, nebulous, topic, which I am prepared to discuss, but not distill.

The word "Bhakti" actually comes from the root "bhaj", which means "to share in," "to belong to," or "to worship." Bhakti most often associated with the yogic practice of chanting, which we do a lot of in Kundalini Yoga!

Even though devotional love can be found in any spiritual practice, the people who come to mind most prominently when I talk about Bhakti are the Vaishnavs. Vaishnavs are the religious group often called "Hare Krishna," which, incidentally, is be like calling a Sikh a "Wahe Guru," or a Christian a "Hallelujah," just because that's what they chant. The interesting thing about Vaishnav Kirtan is that it is entirely devoted to the Sustaining principle of the Universe: Love. They do not chant to Shiva, the destroyer, of Brahma the Creator. You could say that in Yogi Bhajan's famous G-O-D acronym (Generator, Organizer, Destroyer), Vaishnavs are most interested in the "O."

Just as you do not have to be Sikh to practice Kundalini Yoga, you do not have to be Vaishnav to practice Bhakti. However, in my experience, the practice of Bhakti definitely emphasizes the Vaishnav principle of following the path of love. And you'll certainly find evidence of this in the video I made!

To find out what others had to say on the huge topic of "Bhakti," I interviewed audience members at a David Newman (Durga Das) Kirtan on Saturday night. Kirtan artists David Newman, and Donna De Lory (who happened to be in attendance) shared some of their thoughts on the topic as well. Some of my favorite chant albums come from the Bhakti World, and I highly encourage you to check them out. Spread the love in time for Valentine's Day!