Final answer:
Bhakti yoga involves devotional practices focusing on a direct relationship with a deity through chanting, singing, prayer, and meditation, aimed at achieving spiritual connection and union with the divine.
Step-by-step explanation:
The primary activities of Bhakti yoga include devotional practices that emphasize a direct, personal relationship with a deity. Bhakti yoga is a spiritual path within Hinduism that comes from the idea of bhakti, which means devotion. It bypasses the need for intermediaries like priests and focuses on individual practices to achieve a sense of union with the divine. These practices may include chanting, singing, prayer, and meditation, with the end goal being a deep sense of devotion and surrender to a personal god or universal spirit. This form of yoga differs from the physical postures and exercises commonly associated with yoga in the West and is more concerned with the spiritual and emotional connection with the divine.
The concept of Bhakti emerged as a significant movement during the later years of the Gupta Empire in India, which promoted a personal and emotional connection with deities, such as Vishnu and Shiva, challenging the established priestly authority. Over time, Bhakti yoga has continued to be an important spiritual practice within Hinduism and has even influenced other religious traditions, like Sufism within Islam.