S A D H A N A
the practices
These practices can be written about extensively, so please note that this is only a short description of each one of tools you will be exploring in your SAdhanA.
The foundation of this SAdhanA is the integrated practice which allows you to touch on all aspects of the Self.
The technicalities of these practices will be tailored to you, and it is precisely this highly personalised and multi-layered approach that makes Sadhana such a transformational journey for anyone taking part in it.
In this SAdhanA the meditation practice is silent witnessing. Sitting in silence, simply observing the fluctuations of the mind, rather than getting swept up in them or becoming them.
You might struggle with meditation, and dread the thought of sitting in silence. But once you realise all the distractions that pull your attention out of alignment throughout the day, you learn to appreciate silence and soon enough, perhaps even create it. Through cultivating this capacity to witness, your awareness expands further into the recognition of this untouchable still centre within you. You become aware of your True Self, beyond the illusion, a well of infinite wisdom, beauty and love - you are much more than what you think! This kind of practice will support you in recognising this. It is in this silence that you can come to hear the gentle whispers of your soul, where intuition and inspiration begin to arise effortlessly.
Your soul exists within this body, and this magnificent vessel holds imprint to everything you have ever experienced in this lifetime (some might argue even previous lifetimes!)
With this integrated approach, you tend to this body too (and don’t worry everything is customised for you, so no previous experience is necessary here). Depending on your intention with your Sadhana, and time you have to dedicate to it, you will practice Hatha yoga asana to balance and evenly distribute energy, or perhaps freedom movement to support you in releasing, letting go of inhibitions and having fun. Movement allows prana to flow through the 72,000 nadis (channels of subtle energy) more freely, making you shift physically and energetically regardless of how dynamic your movements are.
Svadhyaya, essentially meaning self-study, is one of the pillars to understanding yourself and to living a conscious life, allowing you to come closer to liberation.
Although there are countless ways to do this, in this particular Sadhana, journaling is one of your main tool. Part of your practice is to record your experience at the end of each practice: thoughts, sensations, realisations… Nothing is ever too small a detail to record. This allows you to realise how differently things feel from one day to the next, and what patterns you might see arise - deepening this cultivation of witnessing who you are as you journey through this practice. You will also receive personalised journal prompts based on your intention to deepen your self-study in a more focused way.
Commonly referred to as breath control, pranayama is so much more than simple breathwork. In Sanskrit, prana means life force, yama means tuning in.
So it really means attuning to the rhythms of the natural law, to this manifest reality where everything is vibration. In the yogic tradition, the doorway to prana is breath. It is also the entryway to correcting your perception and refining your nervous system so you can have access to more and more energy, allowing Kundalini to rise and move through the body without resistance. The more you start to work with prana, the more likely you are to have an experience of no-mind, allowing you to meet your inner wisdom and the ever lasting stillness at the core of your being.
Where Karma is action that creates bondage, Kriya is an action that creates expansion and liberation. Practically speaking, kriyas are layered exercises that work deeply on your energetic body.
They are extremely effective in shifting things quickly and at a very deep level, whether they are more meditative or more activating. Kriya is foundational to your Sadhana journey, generating movement of energy that supports evolution in the body, mind and spirit. It is also a tool we use to practice experiencing and containing Kundalini energy - for without practice, the nervous system is unable to handle the intensity of this energy. Traditionally kriyas were not shared in a group setting, but in a Guru to disciple relationship, with the most sincere students which is why you can’t find many books about kriya like you do for other yogic practices.
In a vibratory universe, mantra is one of the first methods used to correct energy. It also allows you to work with your heart centre, the most powerful electromagnetic field of your body.
With the heart’s electro magnetic field 60x greater than the brain, you can understand how effective mantra is in correcting any thoughts and beliefs that don’t serve your evolution. We use mantra as a point of focus and due to the hypnotic nature of this practice, becomes an easy way to come into silence. In your Sadhana, the mantras explored will be in Sanskrit - a sacred language only used for sutras or mantras. Chanting in a different language has been proven to improve memory, neurological health and brain function. Mantra brings us into devotion, expands consciousness, as well as awaken or heal chakras.