What the hell does that mean? Well, I'll tell you. Sadhana is the cultivation of a daily practice of yoga, ideally not just in terms of the physical asana, which is the yoga most people think of first when they hear the word "yoga". But "yoga" means yoke, or union and it's an entire path, a way of life. As one of my favorite teachers often says (and he might be quoting Yogi Bhajan, or he might be spouting his own wisdom) "When your life becomes your yoga and yoga becomes your life, you're there." Brilliant.
The form of physical yoga that I practice most often is Kundalini yoga. I love all forms for their unique and healing energies but this one just speaks to my soul. A couple of years ago I enrolled in the 10 month Teacher's Training course at The Awareness Center in Pasadena. I loved it and I hated it and I loved it. For reasons I won't go into here, I did not complete the requirements so I am not a "certified" teacher, but this yoga is such an integral part of my life that I have in fact taught it and feel I am a truly powerful, loving and capable instructor in exploring this incredible form of asana. I understand it and love it with all of my heart. There were just some aspects of the requirements for certification that I did not agree with and I wouldn't compromise that for the sake of a piece of paper.
But one aspect of Teacher's Training I found inspiring and intriguing was the concept of morning sadhana. Now, to be clear, my intent is NOT to do a 4:30am sadhana yet, though that is what we did together as a group in TT. Some people did it every weekend, some people did a 40 day stretch of 4:30am sadhana, and some of us (like ME!) did the required 5 morning sadhanas and called it a day, so to speak.
I actually found that once I was there, once I'd gotten past the aspect of waking at around 3:30am (so I could rise, take a shower, get ready and drive to the studio) and driving to class under the moon still high in the sky (so wrong on so many levels, hehe) I actually loved the experience. We'd be safely esconced in our small studio, about 30 of us at full class, with only candles and Nag Champa incense lit, soft music, and almost everyone wrapped in blankets like little yogi cocoons. Training went through winter and you'd be surprised at how chilly it gets in LA in February, especially at 4:30 in the morning.
Anyway, a traditional Kundalini Yoga mornign sadhana is a two and a half hour affair; listening to the Japji (read in Gurmukhi, a sacred text), a Kundalini yoga set and then chanting/stinging the Aquarian mantras. It's really quite lovely, but most of us were passed out asleep halfway through the mantras. ;)
My decision to implement a 40 day sadhana won't involve the Japji or the Aquarian mantras, at least not yet. But the entire concept of doing one specific yoga set every single day for 40 days really appeals to me. I know it will challenge my pattern of going into something for a while and then petering out. I know it will mean I can master that set, committing to physical and mental memory so I can easily teach that. And I know it will push my body, mind and spirit gently, lovingly into a whole new level of connection, healing and being. It will result in tremendous gains in strength, flexibility and tenacity.
Now the question is...which yoga set to choose for my first 40 day sadhana experience? The possibilities are (from among Kundalini Yoga DVDS so I can focus on the yoga and not have to bother with timers or counting reps); Yoga Beauty Body (includes "The Magnificent Seven" series of postures that YB said everyone, women in particular, should do every day), Yoga Bliss Hips (great for moving forward without fear or limitation and heart opening), Total Tune Up (great overall series of short sets), Weight Loss (amazing series of 4 sets and 2 amazing meditations), Warrior Workout (intense and amazing, probably better for later). I'm leaning towards either Yoga Beauty Body, and adding a meditation or two at the end, or doing the Weight Loss DVD. My only issue with the latter is that is doesn't have the usual warmups I love (Sufi grinds, spinal flexes, etc) and that could be added at the beginning from another disc, but then it's over 100 minutes long. Even on its own it's about 80-90 minutes.
I think I just talked myself into doing Yoga Beauty Body as my first 40 day sadhana! Yep. That's the one. I feel it in my bones. The question becomes, when to begin? And I am feeling, hearing, thinking..."why not today?" Why not indeed.
My first 40 Day Sadhana...starting today...Yoga Beauty Body...the "Magnificent Seven Series"...working on flexibility, strength, grace, tenacity, self love, inner beauty, outer radiance, covering the basics and transformation.
I'll keep a little journal about it, or maybe just do that on here.
It's on! As Tony Robbins has said, it's in the moments of absolute decision that our entire lives change, for the better.
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