What is a Sadhana Practice?
Jnana is Sanskrit for “knowledge or wisdom” and Jnana yoga is the path of attaining knowledge of the true nature of the self and reality through the practice of meditation, self-inquiry, and contemplation.
My journey starts with self-reflection driven by the plethora of time available sitting on the couch during a pandemic. Naturally, my mind began reflecting on what I have learned from yoga teacher training, my families Indian traditions, and where I lie as South Asian practitioner today. Through self-reflection I was left with a disheartening feeling that I knew very little about the roots and philosophy of yoga in connection with my own Indian culture. With the kind guidance of my mentor and friend, Sachi Doctor (check her website out she’s doing amazing work!), I realized that I am just scratching the surface of a lifelong practice. I decided to dive into the classical texts of yoga and found that my mind was racing to grasp the concepts. Sachi suggested a doing a 40-Day Sadhana practice to solidify the concepts — so the journey began.
Yoga is much more than Asana (think poses at a studio yoga class) and doing a Sadhana helped me embody the 8 limbs of yoga. If you have no idea what I am talking about, feel free to check out Let's Get Back To Yoga. This practice transformed my life in ways I could not have imagined. I want to help enable you on your journey as others did for me. In my 3 articles on Sadhana I go into “What is a Sadhana Practice?”, a “Step By Step Guide to Creating a Sadhana Practice” and “Reflections from a First Hand Sadhana Exploration”. As I feel this practice changed my life, I am excited to offer my time directly to help you create your own practice (learn more linked) and a free consultation call if you email me at meera@truetoyoga.com.
So, What is a Sadhana Practice?
Firstly, don’t feel bad if you have absolutely NO idea. Sadhana is my moms name so imagine my confusion when I received the recommendation to do a Sadhana. The official definition of a Sadhana from Yogapedia.com is:
“Sadhana (Sanskrit: साधन) is a Sanskrit term used to refer to a daily spiritual practice. Sadhana represents a disciplined surrendering of the ego, in which the practitioner uses tools such as asana, pranayama, meditation and chanting on a daily basis.”
Basically, a Sadhana is a daily practice which incorporates yoga practices that facilitate silence in the mind allowing one to go inwards to discover their true self.
Why Do People Do this Practice?
“Sadhana aims to expand the limitations, and break the boundaries of ones energy. As humans we have two fundamental forces that are constantly functioning — one being the instinct of self-preservation and the other being the longing to become boundless — When we are able to merge the two into one, we can find success in our Sadhana.”(Sadhguru, 2)
If you are similar to me and struggle with questions — “Who am I?”, “What is my purpose on this earth?” and “Where do I go from here?”, you are in the right place. This practice will help you look deep to truly understand yourself and energize from a place of truth.
Sounds easy enough? No stress, my next article “Step By Step Guide to Creating a Sadhana” will help you get started on your journey. Remember, this is a lifelong practice passed down through millennia that requires iteration and development. Be patient with yourself and knowledge will come!
[1]: Acharya Shree Yogeesh. Dec 3, 2010. What is *Sadhana* (Spiritual Practices)? Meditation Yoga Mantras Breathing Karma. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEFKOQ9xMl8&ab_channel=AcharyaShreeYogeesh
[2]: Sadhguru. Oct 8, 2012.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGsEW1mbwGA&ab_channel=Sadhguru