I have a devotion practice that makes all the difference. It’s called bhakti yoga.
Though Ayurveda influences my lifestyle, the foods I eat and my daily habits, my bhakti practice is the underpinning of it all. It’s the foundation that supports me when I take the Ayurvedic cleanse known as panchakarma, as I tell in the story of Cleanse Your Body, Reveal Your Soul.
As I implement the daily tools I offer in my Build a Better Morning online class (next one is May 12 and you can sign up here), I know what keeps me on track is the cultivation of a daily awareness of the Divine within and all around me.
This guides me as I make the food choices I talk about in Build a Better Morning, as well as the way I design my morning routine. My food choices are about supporting me so I maintain the connection with the Divine.
A benefit of my bhakti yoga practice is my reconnection with the Divine Feminine, and that’s proved to be a vital blessing to me because of the daily struggle of living in a patriarchal culture.
It remains a challenge for many women to live in a patriarchal culture that truly still has to learn how to honor the woman incarnate. It means we struggle with self-esteem, body image and objectification of our bodies. Too often we’re seen as an object to be amused by or to abuse.
These challenges exist in any person who is not seen as part of the main culture—they are a part of. Each of us need to heal our wounds that persist in us dishonoring those around us, regardless of our sex, color, faith or race.
My bhakti practice softens all of this and provides a way for me to meet these challenges with strength and grace.
Bhakti yoga is that practice of bringing in the Divine into your life through prayers, chants, song, dance, playing musical instruments.
For me, it is a part of my day, much like the dinacharya, or daily habits, I have often shared on this blog and in social media the past several months. I’ll be sharing about it in Build a Better Morning, and you can sign up here. Or, sign up for my newsletter if you haven’t already!
