“The one who does Sadhana builds himself such a powerful personality he can conquer anything!”- Yogi Bhajan
Our days are filled with distractions; there are always things to do and people to see but what about creating moments of stillness that we don’t try to fill with unnecessary “stuff”? These are the moments we need to make our own; the moments we need to utilize to feed our soul.
Sadhana is a spiritual daily practice; a self-discipline practice of the mind and body that is done daily in order to benefit the spirit. It is during Sadhana that we notice patterns that lead us astray from getting in touch with our true selves.
Starting a Sadhana practice doesn’t have to be complex; you may decide to start with 5 minutes of breathing followed by a few rounds of Surya Namaskar or perhaps you choose to practice a meditation that you resonate with. What you choose to do should be the same each and every day. Although the point of a Sadhana practice isn’t so much about exactly what it is you are doing, it is the devotion to the single practice you have chosen to do and to the time you have set aside to fill up your own bucket.
Set aside an amount of time that is manageable for you; it may be 10 minutes or it may be 2 hours, either way you will benefit. Make your Sadhana practice personal and stick to it! One of the key things is consistency.
Before starting your practice make sure that the environment where you practice is quiet, calm, well ventilated and at the right temperature for you. You want to avoid interruptions, so it is important to make sure that you are comfortable. Once you’ve decided what you will do for your Sadhana, try to perform it at the same time each day and in the same place. This helps your body and your subconscious mind to get into a rhythm and once you are in this rhythm you will be more likely to keep it up.
Habits take time to form and break. It is said that it takes forty days to break a habit and ninety to establish a new one, so sticking to and mastering a spiritual practice may take time but it is all about taking steps up the mountain, as opposed to trying to heave yourself up it.
Of course, don’t forget the point of your practice. You’re a unique being with your own world full of ideas, aspirations, and interactions; which are all easy to get caught up in. Develop your own Sadhana practice to untangle yourself and to re-connect to your true inner being.
Written by Nicole Ander