Devotion in Motion: 3 Rituals to Infuse Asana with Meaning

If you are interested in infusing your asana practice with a sense of devotion, consider introducing a few simple rituals.

1. Open your practice with connection.

Before you practice take a moment to feel your connection with the Divine and to dedicate your efforts to that all-encompassing sense of Self or Essence or God. You can imagine the Divine as a deity or a person or nature or something as abstract as pulsating energy. Hold your concept of the Divine in your mind’s eye and offer up all the fruits of your practice to it.

2. Surrender in each Child’s Pose.

When you come into Balasana (Child’s Pose), place your hands overhead. Bring your hands together in prayer. Bend your elbows and place your praying hands on the back of your heart. Surrender to a force greater than yourself and notice the increased sense of safety and freedom you find when you do so.

3. Close your practice with love.

When you sit for meditation or chanting or rest in Savasana (Corpse Pose), place your open hands on your chest. Breathe love into your heart and out into the world. Feel the warmth emanating from your heart center; notice how loving your true nature is. Feel an inner calm knowing that you’re connected to the Divine.

Also see Lead With Your Heart: How to Practice Bhakti Yoga