Decoding Devotion
An argument for the path of the heart.
What is your relationship with devotion?
Perhaps for some of us, it feels expansive, a natural expression of love and commitment. Maybe for others, it carries a certain weight. Possibly some shades of suspicion.
And fair enough. There are countless examples throughout history of those in positions of power (from gurus to politicians alike) co-opting, watering down, and weaponizing devotion for personal gain.
So what if the wariness points to a corruption of the concept, rather than the true practice itself? And if so, what does it look like to redefine it?
When we look a little closer and give ourselves permission to form our own relationship with devotion, we might find that it isn’t about giving something up at all. It might actually be one of the most powerful tools we have for reclaiming agency, rather than a vehicle for surrendering it.
When we break down the word itself, its Latin roots mean to vow or dedicate fully. However, what if we approach this dedication not as submission, but with empowered direction?
In yoga we refer to this as drishti: the place where I keep my gaze, my focus. On the mat, our drishti stabilizes our balance. Locking our eyes on a fixed, unmoving point grounds us when we’re feeling wobbly. Day-to-day, drishti steers our life. Think of it like driving a car. Where I am looking is automatically where I direct the wheels.
So the concept of drishti opens up some reflection: where is my focus directing me day-to-day? Where am I directing my energy towards?
And even further: how do I stay anchored in what I know to be true? What are my practices actually in service of?
Continually refocusing our awareness keeps us connected to the root of our values and our direction. Is that not a form of devotion?
Let’s add another vocab word to the mix, shall we? Bhakti. The path of yoga that makes devotion the entire practice. The Sanskrit root, bhaj, means to participate, to share, or even, to belong to. If drishti gives us direction, bhakti acts as our fuel.
The practices of Bhakti Yoga ask us to be an aware and active participant. So, the Bhakti path teaches us that devotion isn’t about blind faith. The devotee is not the follower behind the leader; that kind of relationship is conditional. A Bhakta is someone who understands, as the root word references, that they inherently belong. Someone who has chosen to be fully present, on purpose, with something that matters. And someone who knows where to turn to when they encounter suffering.
Bhakti works with love as a resource. One that is unlimited and refueled through practices that are centered around devotion. The Bhakti path grounds us in unshakeable faith through the turbulence of life. And, with drishti as our discerning anchor, this faith is not behind a person or something temporary, but in unconditional love as the highest offering.
Thus, devotion can be defined as simply:
Drishti (focused attention) + active participation from the heart – condition = devotion.
Rinse & repeat, day after day, and you might just stir up a pot of devotion.
Or at least that’s the devotional recipe I’m cooking with at the moment. Feel free to throw your own seasonings into the mix. Devotion is a living relationship, continually redefined each time we tend to it. Deeply personal and inherent to the individual .
Yoga itself is a liberation practice. Bhakti is the path that liberates through love and conscious dedication. Devotion, properly understood, is not the relinquishing of one’s freedom, but conscious action towards it.
If you feel curious about diving deeper into the practices of Bhakti and devotion, this October 10–15 Lisa, Jeremy, and I are gathering at Suan Sati for a special 50-hour Bhakti Yoga Teacher Training. Open to all levels, we’ll explore mantra, kirtan, voice activation, intentional ritual, and more across 6 immersive days. Whether you’re exploring more depth in your personal practice or a seasoned teacher looking to expand your offerings, consider this your invitation. Reply to this email or click on the link to get more info! Hope to see you there in October.
