Many of us do yoga for its health benefits and are very satisfied our practices. Some of us, though, see the spiritual potential in yoga but are not quite sure how to harness it. It is said “a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step”. Understanding sadhana is the first step in a yogic spiritual journey.
Defining Sadhana
Yoga can be understood as developing a sense of communion, belonging or oneness within ourselves, in our social interactions and with the environment at large. The word sadhana comes from the Sanskrit root “to exert”. A sadhana is, therefore, an effortful spiritual practice performed for the express purpose of developing a sense of communion, belonging or oneness.
A Sadhana is not confined to the practice of yoga, as we commonly understand it. In fact, in his book entitled Sadhana, Swami Sivananda presents a multitude of paths to accommodate everyone.
Understanding Sadhana
All forms of sadhana include, to a varying degree, the practice of postures (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama), meditation, social engagement, devotion through an espoused spirituality and the study of science, philosophy and/or religion.
Generally, a sadhana is focussed on one of those “ingredients” but also integrates the others. Hence, it is called karma yoga when the emphasis is on social engagement, bhakti yoga when the emphasis is on devotion, jnana yoga when the emphasis is on study of science, philosophy and/or religion, dhyana yoga when the emphasis is on meditation (of which raja yoga is a specific path) and hatha yoga when the emphasis is on the practice of asanas and pranayama.
Each approach is designed to accommodate different temperaments, attitudes and dispositions. Karma yoga is best suited for those with an active temperament, bhakti yoga for those with a devotional incline, jnana yoga for those with a rational mind, dhyana yoga for the mystics and hatha yoga for those who are centered on bodily experiences.
Many well-known gurus claim to have developed a “yoga of synthesis” which they actively promote as the “ultimate” spiritual path. A “yoga of synthesis” is nothing more than a blend of asanas, pranayama, meditation, social commitment, devotion and study that worked well for the guru promoting it. It is the guru’s “recipe” for success.
Beyond being a practice of asanas, pranayama, meditation, social commitment, devotion and study, a sadhana rests first and foremost on discipline. For simplicity, discipline can be summed up in three “simple” points: the development of patience, the cultivation of “virtues” and the control of mind activity.
The development of patience involves paying attention to details, constancy of practice and perseverance. It can be cultivated by pledging resolutions on paper; establishing a daily routine and easing progressively into it; avoiding lapses in practice; and keeping a diary to measure progress, record insights and identify areas needing improvement.
Cultivation of Virtues
There are three important “virtues” that need to be cultivated in yoga sadhana: truthfulness, charity and checking negative emotions.
Certainly, truthfulness toward others but also, and most importantly, toward oneself. Truthfulness with others implies possessing and practicing strong ethics. Truthfulness toward oneself implies being and acting in accordance with one’s “nature”, allowing the full expression of personal qualities and potential. Truthfulness is about respect and self-respect.
Charity is not simply limited to the act of giving alms. Most importantly, it includes being generous with our time and putting our qualities to work helping others, for the sake of helping, whenever there is an opportunity.
Negative emotions such as anger, fear and greed can be prevented by doing mouth yoga or lifting the corners of the mouth; smiling, laughing, not taking ourselves seriously, seeing obstacles as opportunities, accepting mistakes and developing tolerance. When they surface, negative emotions can be controlled by evoking the opposite emotion and/or using distraction. They can be eliminated through self-study and introspection.
Calming the Mind
There are five effective techniques to calm the mind and control its activity: diet, sama, dama, austerity and contentment.
In yoga, the mind is compared to a drunken monkey who is locked up in a small cage and has been stung by a bee. The simplest way to calm the mind and control its activity is to change our diet. It is said that “we are what we eat” and, true to the saying, there are foods that stimulate, that create lethargy or that produce a feeling of well-being. Yogic literature recommends a diet that produces a pleasant feeling of well-being, which includes cereals, fruits, grains, herb tea, honey, legumes, milk products, nuts and vegetables.
Sama is concentration of the mind. It is best established by practicing mouna, which is to silence speech and thought and to watch the mind. When the mind knows that it is being watched, it becomes shy and keeps silent. Sama also involves paying attention to the task at hand, developing situational awareness and gently bringing back the wandering mind to focus.
Dama is the control of the “organs of knowledge” or the senses: hearing, touching, seeing, tasting and smelling. It is achieved by avoiding situations that rouse the senses thus distracting and stimulating the mind. (Try to read a book at a rock concert!)
Austerity can be summed up as frugal living, avoidance of indulgences and non-greediness. Almost paradoxically, austerity is an effective way to bring pleasure to life. When one is accustomed to simple living, a small gratification brings great pleasure.
Contentment is an offshoot of austerity. Someone who is content does not expect anything, appreciates what he/she has, does not covet, lives in the present, does not live in the past or the future and embraces what life brings. Contentment can be achieved by establishing detachment, which is characterized by letting go of habits, aversions and preferences.
Many will recognize similarities with familiar systems such as the eight-limb model described by Patanjali Maharishi in his well-known Raja Yoga Sutra and, in particular, the directives of his yamas and niyamas. This is because all sadhanas rest on the same foundation. They only differ in their presentation.
Establishing Sadhana
It is hard to establish discipline and progression in a sadhana as headway is generally not only painstakingly slow but it is also deceptive. Often we don’t appreciate how much progression has been achieved until a sadhana is stopped.
The yogic literature cites three major obstacles when beginning a sadhana: lack of self-control, depression and doubt. For this reason, it is challenging to start a spiritual yogic journey by ourselves.
It is said that “the guru always appears when the student is ready”, unfortunately, not everyone has the opportunity to benefit from the guidance from a guru, a spiritual leader or a dedicated instructor.
An alternative is to join a community or sangha. Certainly, there are well established and known yogic community but you may also want to consider Buddhist or Sikh community. You could even consider a “blend” whereby you join a reputable yoga school to learn postures (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama) and meditation while becoming involved in your church, mosque or temple to be socially engaged, worship and study scriptures.
Like the saying goes, the paths are many but the Truth is one!
Yves Panneton