Instructor: Shekhar Annambhotla

Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (ERYT500) – # 13423

Ayurveda Wellness Center
567 Thomas Street, Coopersburg, PA 18036
Phone: (484) 347-6110
Email: doctorshekhar@gmail.com
Website: www.ojas.us

An 8-hour Bhakti Yoga YACEP (Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider) training focuses on the “Path of Devotion” and heart-centered practice. Because of the compact timeframe, the syllabus prioritizes emotional transformation, chanting, sacred texts, and practical tools to weave devotion into modern yoga classes. It aligns with Yoga Alliance categories like Yoga Philosophy, Lifestyle, and Ethics and Techniques, Training, and Practice.

Here is a comprehensive syllabus breakdown for an 8-hour Bhakti intensive:

Course Breakdown (8 Hours Total)

Part 1: Foundations of Devotion & Sacred Texts (1.5 Hours)

• What is Bhakti?: Defining Bhakti as the yoga of love, surrender, and relationship with the divine.
• Historical Roots: Tracing Bhakti from the Vedas and Upanishads to the medieval Bhakti Movement.
• The Bhagavad Gita: Studying the path of selfless devotion and Sri Krishna’s teachings on love and duty.
• Narada Bhakti Sutras: Exploring the foundational verses on the nature of supreme love (Parama Prema).

Part 2: The Practices of Bhakti Yoga (2.5 Hours)

• The 9 Forms of Bhakti: Analyzing Nava Vidha Bhakti (e.g., listening to sacred stories, chanting, ritual service).
• Kirtan & Bhajan: The difference between call-and-response chanting (Kirtan) and fixed devotional songs (Bhajans).
• Deities and Archetypes: Understanding the symbolic and energetic meanings of figures like Ganesha, Shiva, Krishna, and the Divine Mother.
• Bhakti Asana: Transforming physical movement into an offering of devotion rather than a performance of fitness.

Part 3: Techniques & Experiential Practice (2.5 Hours)

• Mantra & Japa Meditation: Using a mala (prayer beads) for repetitive sacred chanting to quiet the mind and open the heart.
• Voice Activation: Overcoming the fear of singing, finding the authentic voice, and using sound as a vessel for emotion.
• Harmonium & Instruments: Introduction to rhythm, basic chords, and leading simple chants with a harmonium, kartals, or drum.
• Heart-Opening Kirtan: An immersive, experiential chanting session to experience the collective energy of Bhakti.

Part 4: Teaching Methodology & Integration (1.5 Hours)

• Weaving Bhakti into Asana: How to introduce themes of gratitude, surrender, and love into standard vinyasa or hatha classes.
• Creating Sacred Space: Using altars (puja), incense, flowers, and intention-setting to shift a studio’s atmosphere.
• Leading with Vulnerability: Holding space for students’ emotional releases and managing the boundaries of a heart-centered teacher.

Core Learning Objectives

• Explain the philosophical framework of Bhakti Yoga using classical texts like the Bhagavad Gita.
• Lead at least two basic call-and-response Kirtan chants with confidence.
• Integrate devotional themes, storytelling, and mantra into a physical yoga class setting.