Sadhana: Daily Spiritual Practice
Sadhana is the yogic term for daily spiritual practice. It is one of the main tools for working on the self and achieving a higher state of consciousness. Though “sadhana” is the yogic term used here, sadhana can really be any practice you do to promote personal well-being—whether that’s yoga, meditation, prayer, exercise, or any other health-promoting habit. The key with sadhana is consistency and discipline.
A regular sadhana is a habit that creates harmony. When you commit to meeting your higher self each day, your decisions and your life become original, your life bears the signature of your soul, and your radiance expresses the meaningful intimacy of the Infinite in each moment. There is a powerful and validating sense of victory that sadhana brings where life’s challenges become opportunities rather than struggles.
Amrit Vela
Two and a half hours before sunrise is the time period known as the “ambrosial hours” or the “amrit vela.” During the amrit vela, the sun is at a sixty-degree angle to the Earth and the energy put forth in sadhana has “supercharged” results, which is why many yogis traditionally practice their sadhana at this time.
Taking time before the day begins to focus and concentrate the mind is a powerful benefit of morning sadhana. However, if you are unable to wake early in the morning, then simply do your sadhana another time! Practicing sadhana at all is most important, and doing so will only benefit you.
Preparing for Sadhana
You can start your sadhana with light stretching and breathing exercises to warm-up. If practicing morning sadhana, it’s ideal to change out of your pajamas and bathe beforehand (preferably with a cold shower if possible). This purifies the body and prepares it for the day ahead. Be sure to wear a natural fiber scarf, hat, or head covering. If you can, create a sacred space in your home that is designated for your daily practice. Embellish and decorate it with inspiring images, flowers, crystals, or anything that speaks to your soul. A shawl and sheepskin or natural fiber blanket are also items that can aid you on your sadhana journey.
The Power of Group Sadhana
There are unique benefits to practicing sadhana alone, as well as in a group environment. The yogis teach that sadhana in a group setting serves to enhance group consciousness. Each yogi has a different vibration, and the more people present at sadhana, the more these individual differences balance out to create one harmonious unit.
With group sadhana, the happiness of one person can blend with the sadness of another. As a result, the entire group finds harmony as its energy is directed into the activity of the sadhana practice itself.
By the end of morning sadhana, when everyone’s energy has intermixed and merged, many people feel it is easier to communicate and interact with others. This feeling is often described as “being on the same wavelength.” Even outside of our sadhana, we can continue to experience this profound effect throughout the day and may even come to find there are fewer misunderstandings and difficulties in our daily experiences with others.
Sample Schedule for Morning Sadhana
Your sadhana is your own, and you are welcome to commit to any practice or series of practices you like. It can be 3 minutes or 3 hours. If you are looking for inspiration, you can do the 2.5 hour Aquarian Sadhana schedule traditionally followed in many Kundalini Yoga communities.
3:30 – 3:45 am: Begin wake-up and preparation for sadhana
3:45 – 4:00 am: Recitation of JapJi Sahib
4:00 – 4:05 am: Tune in with the three repetitions of Adi Mantra, Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo
4:05 – 4:45 am: Kundalini Yoga Kriya for 25–45 minutes
4:45 – 5:00 am: Deep relaxation
5:00 – 6:00 am: The Aquarian Sadhana Mantra Meditations
6:00 – 6:15 am: Contemplative Moments/Prayer
Rewiring Your Habits: 40/90/120/1000 Day Sadhanas
Problems in life often arise from the habitual nature of our actions. With our habits, we may dwell in peace and happiness, or we may create misery and pain. But when we alter our habit-forming behaviors, everything in our lives has the power to transform.
All Kundalini Yoga kriyas can transform us in very specific ways, and you can receive enormous benefits from practicing a kriya even once. But if you want to truly change your habits and realize the full effects of the kriya, practice every single day for a consistent amount of time.
According to yogic philosophy, the length of time that you commit to daily practice can affect various levels of transformation:
40 Days: Breaks any negative habits that block you from the expansion possible through the kriya or mantra.
90 Days: Establishes a new habit in your conscious and subconscious minds based on the effect of the kriya or mantra. It will change you in a very deep way.
120 Days: Confirms the new habit of consciousness created by the kriya or mantra. The positive benefits of the kriya get integrated permanently into your psyche.
1000 Days: This allows you to master the new habit of consciousness of the kriya or mantra. No matter the challenge, you can call on this new habit to serve you.
Remember, a habit is a subconscious chain reaction between the mind, the glandular system, and the nervous system. We develop habits at a very young age. Some of them serve our highest destiny while others do not. By doing a 40, 90, 120, or 1000 day special sadhana, you can rewire that chain reaction. You can develop new, deeply ingrained habits that serve your highest good.
Learn more about planning your first 40-day Sadhana here.
Share
2 responses to “Sadhana: Daily Spiritual Practice”
Your experience is important!
Share your wisdom with others like you. Leave your comment below
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
When Less is More - Yoga With Yolanda
[…] (3) Sadhana: Daily Spiritual Practice – 3HO International. https://www.3ho.org/article/sadhana-daily-spiritual-practice/. […]
The Journey Inward: Connecting with the Source – Mobi So's Insights
[…] pranayama (breathing techniques), meditation, chanting, and self-study of spiritual texts123.The essence of sadhana is a disciplined surrender of the ego, allowing practitioners, known […]