by Yogi Ananda Viraj (Eugene P. Kelly, Jr.)
The purpose of this essay is to explain the concept of sadhana or means, to those with little or no background in yoga philosophy and practice.
Yoga is not limited to the role of an abstract philosophy. Yoga also includes certain techniques or methods which enable the practitioner to attain the goal of yoga which results in the removal of suffering. Although there are many such techniques that serve as means to the yogic end, the techniques employed in the introductory courses will be the most basic. As is only obvious, the variations in technique will be as many as there are teachers of yoga. However, you may rest assured that the methods taught at Yoga Anand Ashram stem from a lineage of teachers that reaches far back into India’s past. This in itself is no guarantee of quality however, given our present experience as both teachers and students we have found the methods more than appropriate.
The term sadhana is used here in the sense of those collective practices which serve to bring about a special effect. These practices include both the physical and mental sides of the person. The word sadhana is derived from the root word sadh which means to succeed. The primary literal meaning of sadhana is “leading straight to a goal,” The term for a righteous man, sage, holy man or woman is sadhu, a term derived from the same root.
As would be the case with any tradition or for that matter with any teacher sadhana as a body of practices will be diverse. The purpose here is to make clear the manner in which sadhana is approached at Yoga Anand Ashram.
When once a person seeks a goal, be it yogic or otherwise, he or she sets out on the way towards that goal equipped with the “means” to get there. They may have to look for teachers or books in order to learn about the “means”, but once learned the process of arriving is made real through the use of the “means. If the person does not treat the “means” with respect and care there is little hope of arriving at the goal. Therefore, a degree of reverence for the means must be held. In yoga this reverence for the means (sadhana) is cultivated in various ways. Practically speaking we suggest that the student secure a clean space in which to use the means. This space must be somewhat isolated so as to avoid distractions. (For family people this is no easy task.) The student of yoga is advised to regard this space as sacred. This cultivation of sacredness is simultaneously a cultivation of respect for what one does in this “sacred space.” A word of caution should be noted: the student must realize that both the respect for the means and the creation of the “sacred space” to employ the means are the students doing. There are no spaces which are sacred without the will of the student and no practice or means which deserve respect outside of the student’s wanting, to cultivate such respect.
The next move that the student must make in order to make real the value of sadhana is the creation of sacred time. The two elements of space and time must all lend to a total atmosphere wherein sadhana gains its due respect. At our Ashram both sunrise and sunset provide the basis for “sacred time1‘. Our recommendation is that the student rise with the sun in the morning to perform sadhana and draw upon the freshness of those early morning hours to lend an aura of calm to the space he or she has selected. In more advanced stages of yoga training sunrise and sunset are held sacred and both provide the temporal contexts for yoga practice.
Recognizing that there are some extremely useful “symbols” which are effective in promoting an aura of sanctity we recommend that the student have a lit candle in the room selected for practice. The flame has symbolized (in many traditions) the aspiring mind, the pure consciousness behind phenomena, the eternal divine spark in man, and much more. Without holding to any one religious or spiritual outlook the student is advised to merely let the flame be and directly experience its presence. It must be kept in mind that these “symbols” act as aids to the student without necessarily becoming an element in any dogmatic context.
At this point the student has selected a space and a time in which to perform sadhana. In addition, the flame lends a presence which sanctifies the environment. Some students find incense to be of value in this environment. What is left to be said is that the student should create a focal point for him or herself. The purpose of this focal point is to concentrate the outward directed energies to a particular place within the room so that before and after postures the student has a “place” to return to without being unnecessarily distracted. At more advanced stages this focal point gains such an importance that it may be decorated or captured in some way so as to become the locus for sustained concentrative practices. Again, it is the student’s doing which sanctifies the locus of attention.
The last item of importance in the performance of sadhana is purity. By that it is meant that sadhana or yogic practices should be performed directly after bathing. A shower in the early morning does wonders in arousing the energies required to carry out a yogic plan of action. The pores must be allowed to”breathe” and the body must be propelled from the sluggish state of sleep.
In sum, the student of yoga training is advised to undertake a four-jointed program: first, the selection of the appropriate space; second, the deliberate choice of the time of practice; third, the creation of an environment conducive to the feeling of sanctity; fourth, preparation in terms of physical purity or cleanliness. This program provides the proper context for the practice of yoga. However basic it may sound the realization of its effectiveness comes about only when the student animates it with his or her care, respect and practice.