Bhakti is unconditional love. People ask how can we love unconditionally? The answer is, we first need to love conditionally. We begin with selfish egoistic human love and gradually this love extinguishes our ego and matures into unconditional love.

This exercise is a combined process of Yoga asanas and breathing. It reduces abdominal fat, brings flexibility to the spine and limbs, and increases the breathing capacity; it is easier to practice asanas after doing Surya Namaskar.

In the practice of Bhakti Yoga, the aspirant becomes the lover and Iswara becomes the beloved. Eventually, through this process of love, the lover and the beloved become one. Bhakti is this process of union through love.

As we enter into our 51st year, we share these words of inspiration and guidance by Swami Sivananda, from the book Sivananda Upanishads, a collection of his handwritten letters complied by his disciple, our founder Swami Vishnudevananda. 1st January 19 …