How to Practice Bhakti Yoga?

One of the easiest ways to understand the path of bhakti and expand our devotional attitude is to treat others the way we would like to be treated. The Jewish sage Philo said, “Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.” When you see that someone is having a hard day, offer to help, say a prayer, or just listen with an open and compassionate heart.
Whichever form or aspect of God you are drawn to, here are 12 bhakti ways to help you cultivate devotion and open your heart to grace.

• Chanting is a powerful way to channel the emotions. Singing the praise and glory of the many names of the Divine lifts and purifies our spirits, whether we do it alone or with others. Chant songs of praise to the Divine, either in a group or alone.
• Set up an altar with a favorite image or representation of the Divine and offer flowers, fruit, or incense; or do mental worship.
• Meditate on your chosen image of God. Visualize the image — either the face or the feet or the whole image — in your heart or the space between the two eyebrows, and concentrate on it.
• Choose a relationship with God that feels natural. The Bhakti Sutras say that we can worship the Divine as a faithful servant, a loyal friend, a loving parent, or a devoted lover.
• Appreciate the wonder and beauty of nature, seeing it as a manifestation of the Divine.
• Say grace and offer your food to the Divine before eating or sharing a meal.
• Give something up, either temporarily as in a practice for Lent or Ramadan, or permanently as in the Native American Giveaway practice or Locks of Love.
• Purify your thoughts and actions by practicing the yamas and niyamas.
• Practice forgiveness and compassion. Accept your faults and the faults of others.
• Be humble. Do something that no one else likes to do, and make that your offering.
• Stretch yourself a little beyond your comfort zone to help someone else.
• Keep a journal to observe the pattern of your mind, emotions, practice. Channel your emotions through positive creative means.
• Practice the “examen of conscience” developed by St. Ignatius of Loyola. Consciously reflect on the events of the past 12 or 24 hours, and notice where in the day you sensed the presence of God.

Know more about Bhakti Yoga from Bhagavad Gita chapter 12 discourse by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.