Accounts of Anandamayi Ma consistently portray a figure for whom spiritual life did not revolve around a rigid, universally prescribed set of practices. She is described as dwelling in an almost continuous state of divine remembrance, such that formal disciplines were said to be unnecessary for her own inner life. Rather than laying down a single rulebook, she emphasized that the essential “practice” is the inner attitude of surrender, devotion, and constant awareness of the Divine. From this vantage point, outer forms—while not dismissed—were always subordinated to the transformation of consciousness and the deepening of love for God.

At the same time, her life and guidance did encompass recognizable practices and ritual forms. She supported and encouraged traditional disciplines such as japa, the repetition of the Divine Name, meditation suited to each person’s temperament, and devotional singing in the form of kirtan and bhajans. Around her, devotees engaged in pūjā, ārati, and regular worship, and she participated in kirtan sessions and allowed elaborate ceremonies to be performed in her presence. She also honored major Hindu festivals and traditional observances, and pilgrimage to holy places was regarded as a meaningful aid for those drawn to it, though never as an absolute requirement.

Her instructions to disciples were notably individualized rather than standardized. She urged seekers to follow practices appropriate to their own nature, background, and capacity, whether Vaishnava, Shakta, Shaiva, or otherwise, and did not insist that everyone adopt identical forms. Moral and spiritual qualities such as surrender (prapatti), devotion (bhakti), simplicity, and self-restraint were repeatedly emphasized as the true foundation of sādhanā. In this way, outer practices—japa, meditation, kirtan, pūjā, pilgrimage—were affirmed as valid and powerful, yet always as vehicles whose value depended on the depth of inner remembrance and the sincerity of the heart.