Bhakti Yoga Club at UMD

 Editor’s Note: The University of Maryland Bhakti Yoga Club offers free Bhakti yoga and mediation and a free vegetarian dinner on Fridays from 7:00 -9:00 pm in the TerpZone Activities Room. 

By:   Khircelle Forde

         Junior Family Science Major

         SPH Student Ambassador 

“Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare ,Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”  This is the Hare Krishna mantra. A very important mantra used with Bhakti yoga.  Chanting Hare Krisna awakens love of god, brings liberation, and self-realization.

Students enjoy a free vegetarian meal after
practicing Bhakti yoga.

On Friday march 30^th, I had the pleasure of visiting the University of Maryland Bhakti Yoga club and observing other chant this mantra. The Bhakti Yoga club is an organization that involves both students and community members; groups of different races, cultures, and ages come together to experience personal growth.

Practicing Bhakti yoga begins off with a peaceful state of mind. It is also very important that the body is relaxed. The practice is then continued with a woman singing, her voice followed by a bell and a drum followed by a bell and a drum. This music is Kirtan. This is followed by the mantra meditation. Although I was an observer, I felt the meditation calming me down and releasing built up anxiety. It reminded me of when I used to do yoga, and how it could instantly change my mood. But the difference between Bhakti yoga and my previous yoga experience is that Bhakti yoga involves more meditation and less physical activity.  

After meditation, club members handed out a book called Bhakti: The Art of Eternal Love by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Together we read a passage which discussed obstacles. People went around the room and reflected on the reading and what it meant to them personally. One member said that she read the same passage one morning, and on that same day she saw a warning sign by a body of water. It said if drowning, instead of going against the tide, surrender to it. She saw this as a message towards life. Sometimes the way to survive certain things is to surrender to them. I realized then that Bhakti yoga creates an outlook on life and for many people; it is a form of therapy.

After practicing Bhakti yoga, we indulged in an organic vegetarian dinner. For dinner we had rice, peas, and tofu. The food tasted wonderful. I have never had that particular dish and I was excited to try new food. Despite being a newcomer, everyone made me feel right at home. During the dinner, I had a chance to talk to the students in the club. I found that a majority of the students used this form of yoga to cope with stress, especially from school.

Overall I had a great time and I’m glad that I had a chance to experience something new.