Bhatki vinyasa yoga is a form of yoga teaching that emphasizes worship of the Divine. Although not explicitly religious, it is a highly spiritual form of yoga. As the website of Yogi Way, a yoga studio in Seattle, says about bhakti vinyasa, "Yoga is a gift to humanity, given by the Creators. Therefore, we are nourished when we remember and hold the highest appreciation for the Divine." Within that general framework, bhatki vinyasa takes a variety of forms. Classes in bhatki vinyasa yoga often include kirtan, which is call-and-response chanting, meditation, breathing exercises called pranayama, and flowing movements of the limbs, often in response to music.
Bhakti
Lisa Mae Osborn, co-founder of the Bhaktishop in Portland, Oregon, defines bhakti as "love, service, and devotion...to whatever." That's a good example of the fluid definition of bhakti, and well as the irreverence of Osborn and some of its practitioners. Osborn teaches her students to move freely and disregard the technical accuracy of the poses in favor of listening to their bodies and moving in a way that feels best. Osborn and some other Bhakti practitioners such as Osborn stress the community atmosphere that develops between students of bhakti. "It's a celebration of life," she told the "Portland Mercury."
Vinyasa Yoga
As Yogi Way explains, vinyasa yoga stems from breathing exercises linked to integration of the arms and legs, creating a mind/body connection. More advanced vinyasa teaching focuses on a vinyasa "flow style" that stresses proper alignment. This is a vigorous form of yoga. If you like to sweat, vinyasa yoga will provide a thorough workout, extend the range of motion of your joints and please anyone who seeks "the ultimate stretch for body, mind and spirit."
Variations
Bhakti vinyasa yoga teachers mix the fundamental elements of the discipline in various ways. Govindas, a yoga teacher based in Santa Monica, teaches a version of bhakti vinyasa yoga that combines chanting, breathing techniques, vinyasa flow movements and free-form movement "to open the heart and dance with spirit." Govindas and his wife run Bhakti Yoga Shala, a donation-funded studio with the devotional approach common to all forms of bhakti yoga. Sara Ivanhoe, who has sold more that 4 million yoga videos and CDs, and authored "Yoga for Dummies," describes bhakti vinyasa as a practice that uses "the simple structure of a vinyasa flow infused with devotional music, pranayama, and mediation to move past the outer layers of the body and connect with our intuition."
Bhatki Vinyasa Project
The Bhatki Vinyasa Project is a group that further marries music with yoga. Created in large part by Kristin Luna Ray, a singer-songwriter, kirtan leader and yoga practitioner, the BVP mixes live music with sophisticated yoga poses. BVP travels throughout the United States and Costa Rica, playing at venues ranging from yoga studios to music festivals. As part of the bhatki vinyasa emphasis on service, BVP set up a foundation to support native villages in Costa Rica and donates to some of the proceeds from its appearances to a local charity.
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