Guide to Create a Daily Practice
This article is a follow-up to part 1, “What is a Sadhana Practice?”, give it a read before! Now that you understand what a Sadhana is, it’s time for the juicy stuff. Based on my experience and teachings, I put together this guide on how to set up your Sadhana.
Start by getting a journal to tackle the items below… Go right now…now, yes now… great work! You will use this journal throughout your journey so make sure you love it :)
Discover your goals. Grab your journal, start by taking 5 minutes to journal through this prompt — “What am I looking to learn about myself, and why?” — Take more time if you need, there is no right or wrong answer, and as you go through your Sadhana you will uncover more.
Define practices you can stick to for 40 days. Now take your pencil and write down all the practices you feel comfortable doing. Take a look at your list and circle 2 or 3 practices that make you happy and resonate with your goals. This point requires customization based on each persons goals, experiences and comfort level with practices. I work with my clients 1:1 to pull techniques from the Eight Limbs (pranayama, mantra, asana, meditation, etc.) and am happy to support your journey. If you want to work with you can can read about my process to Develop a customized Yoga Practice with me or email me directly at meera@truetoyoga.com to book a free consultation.
Fine Tune Techniques. Take a look at the items you have circled. Now try to get specific with your techniques. For example if your goal is finding stillness instead of just writing “ Pranayama” try “nadi shodhana”. The more specific you can get, the more you will develop dharana — focus & attention. This is where I personally needed some help as my topics were broad. If you are stuck, do some research, find resources online and don’t be afraid to ask the experts.
Structure your Routine. Now it’s time to take what you have written and create a structure behind it. Think about how long you want to take for your routine (30 minutes total is a safe starting place) and then order of your practices. In my next article I go into my personal preferences with sequencing for additional pointers.
Set aside time & space when you will do your daily routine. Write down when you plan to do your routine. Do you plan to do it first thing in the morning? Feel free to get creative with your space, decorate it with plants or set up an area outside, make it unique for your beautiful soul. Also, make sure you select a place that you can associate with peace of mind, sooo… maybe not your working desk.
Keep this journal to document your daily thoughts and feelings. People use all sorts of journaling techniques, and the main thing is to align them with your goals. In my next article I show my simple journal set-up if you are stuck!
Do this practice alone and for yourself. It is tempting to loop in a friend or partner to do this routine with daily. While you can confide and update a guide (someone you trust) throughout this journey, you must practice this Sadhana alone. This is an exploration of the self, the thing we come into to this life and leave with.
Make it official! Take a look at all the work you have done to get this Sadhana that unique to your Atman — soul. Now it’s time to make it official! Create a line on the bottom of the page and write “I commit to this practice for 40 days”, add your signature below it and welcome yourself to a journey of true self-exploration. Take a moment to appreciate those who lived before us and paved the path for us to benefit from this deep practice.
The most important thing I want you to take from this is to be kind to yourself throughout your journey. You may have ups and downs or even missed a day here and there. Do not let that throw you off your path as everything you feel, see and do is all part of the process. Treat yourself as you would your dearest friend.
For more inspiration on structuring your routine, check out my next article, “Reflections from a First Hand Sadhana Exploration” or book a free consultation call by emailing me at meera@truetoyoga.com to get started on your journey!