Ramakrishna Ananda relates the stories of Sri Ramakrishna regarding illustrating the spiritual path. Learn how these paths can guide us in our yoga practice.

Ramakrishna Ananda talks about the life events of Sri Ramakrishna that show us how we can live in a closer relationship with God through several principles.

How strong is your relationship with the Lord of your heart? If the world were to crack in two, what would be more important, the world or your relationship with God? Discover how you can live your life knowing God is real, is truly in back of everything you experience, and more important than anyone or anything.

Jnanis, wisdom yogis, see God as Brahman or Absolute Consciousness; raja yogis view God as Universal Consciousness; and both jnana and raja yogis seek to become absorbed in Infinite Consciousness. But bhaktas, devotional yogis, want communion with the Lord. Practice the attitudes Sri Ramakrishna shares which are necessary to live in communion with God.

Too often, people assume God will not respond to their prayers or cries in the night. But we are joined to God by life, essence, and consciousness. We are connected. Ask the Lord to come to you and then be receptive. The problem is usually our lack of spiritual awareness and an ego which ignores the promptings of the soul.

Sri Ramakrishna, the great yogi from the nineteenth century, came to help humanity find greater happiness and fulfillment. He taught that if we enter into a relationship with the Lord of our heart, many possibilities become available. But how do we go about having a deeper relationship with God? Humility is often the answer.

How does a devotee receive unconditional love? There are several states on the way to pure love: faith (shraddha); single-minded devotion to your ideal (nishta); ongoing devotion (bhakti); and relationship with God (bhava). Love grows and grows. It is dynamic.

What is it like to be a bhakta, a lover of God? Bhaktas have tender feelings for God and all living creatures. They know what pain and suffering is like and, in their compassion, they want to help bring spiritual light into the world. How do you know if you are a bhakta?

Life happens day by day. Life is based on how you spend your days, one at a time. How much love, joy, care, wisdom, kindness, creativity and gratitude fill each day? Are you truly open to Spirit and yoga?

Sri Ramakrishna taught that to live without a vision of God is to live entirely in vain. He taught that, as people, we crave to relate to God personally and that we can see God spiritually. Learn meaningful concepts that allow us to realize our true nature and prepare for a vision of the Lord.