Literally translating as “a means of accomplishing something”, Sadhana includes any practice that spiritually progresses ones life.
I myself, have always had a morning ritual. I do well with morning routines and I have always felt very deeply satisfied when I accomplish the things I feel I need to accomplish, even since I was a teenager. Through the metamorphosis of my spiritual and yoga practices, my rituals change along with it. When I first learned about Sadhana I said “Wow! So it has a name!” Of course at this point in time and the more information I have received, my rituals are much different than in my former years. If you wake up each day and do a series of tasks or things that allows your day to start off feeling fruitful, you already practice some form of Sadhana. Maybe its as simple as brushing your teeth, walking your dog, stretching, meditating, walking on the treadmill, or reciting prayer or positive affirmations. Regardless of the formula of things you choose to do each day, it creates the same feeling of fullness because you have done the things that assist you in aligning with your highest self and you’ve done it with absolute involvement. Sadhana is a daily spiritual practice.
All Sadhana is aimed at essentially one thing, expanding ones limitations, breaking the barriers of ones personal energy. The challenge for most people is this. Naturally, human energies tend to identify with barriers while simultaneously longing to become boundless. This by nature creates a tug of war, also explaining why many people find that they always end up taking 2 steps forward, 1 step back, 3 steps forward, 4 steps back. With a limited identity, everything inside you builds walls. it is easy to blame everything for these walls. Jobs, upbringings, families. But they do not build the walls. You do. They can not destroy the walls. But you can.
Finding your Sadhana is simple. You must look for three things. What makes you feel your best. What challenges you, and what you do that is not subject to external reality. Let’s say for example, one is a musical performer. They ask if their performances and training is Sadhana. But what if they are fully intentional and all is done with absolute involvement? Remember though that the act is still subject to external reality. They still seek applause, recognition, status, or money. When you get early to have time to sit with yourself before work, and no-one is around to give you appreciation, that is Sadhana. When you choose to repeat positive affirmations even after receiving unwanted news, that is Sadhana. Sadhana is working on yourself, even when no-one notices. It is doing the work always, even when you really, really want a break.
As Sadhguru said,
“Spiritual journey need not be effortful, it just needs to be sensible. But to come to sense, it may take effort sometimes. Need not, but it may.”
Balance and Blessings, Melanie