11 Nov 2026 10:00

How to Know If Your Spiritual Practice Is Working | Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12

What's the best way to connect with the Divine?Β 

Through a personal relationship with a God you can name, picture, pray to, and love or through meditation on something infinite, formless, and beyond personality?

That's the practical question Arjuna asks Krishna in Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12. Krishna's answer opens a conversation about Bhakti Yoga, devotion, meditation, and what to do when spiritual practice feels difficult.

In this episode:

πŸ”Ή Why devotion and meditation on the formless Divine can lead to the same destination, but one may be easier for the human heart and mind

πŸ”Ή The compassionate "ladder" Krishna offers when constant devotion feels impossible

πŸ”Ή How the Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Sutras approach practice differently

πŸ”Ή Why Krishna says spiritual maturity is measured not by mystical experiences, but by patience, compassion, forgiveness, steadiness, and how we treat others

It's easy to measure practice by how often we meditate, how much yoga we do, or the experiences we've had.

But Chapter 12 asks a more uncomfortable question: What is your practice producing in your character?

Want to go deeper between episodes? Subscribe to my new Uplifted Substack for yoga philosophy, reflections, teachings, and conversations delivered straight to your inbox: https://substack.com/@upliftedtrainings

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πŸ“– Different translations explored:

Barbara Stoler Miller: https://www.amazon.com/Bhagavad-Gita-Krishnas-Counsel-Bantam-Classics/dp/0553213652Β 

Godsong by Amit Majmudar: https://www.amazon.com/Godsong-Verse-Translation-Bhagavad-Gita-Commentary/dp/1524733474Β 

Eknath Easwaran: https://www.amazon.com/Bhagavad-Gita-2nd-Eknath-Easwaran/dp/1586380192Β 

Bhagavad-Gita As It Is by Swami Prabhupada: https://www.amazon.com/Bhagavad-Gita-As-Bhaktivedanta-Swami-Prabhupada/dp/0892131233Β 

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FREE Practice: Easy Kundalini Yoga for Women | Kriya to be DIVINE LOVE EMBODIED

Relevant Blog: Discover the Benefits of the Gobinday Mukunday Mantra for Well-Being

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Relevant to Today's Episode:

🐍 History of Yoga

πŸ“– Yoga Life Book

βœ… 200-hour Online Yoga Teacher Training

πŸ’– Uplifted Membership

🎧 Also Listen to:

#427 – What Is Bhakti Yoga? Krishna's Most Confidential Teaching (Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9)

#430 –


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