Preparation for Practice
1. Face the east when you practice yoga. This is the direction of rising light and spiritual vibrations. Fresh air also maximizes the benefits of pranayama. If you practice yoga in the same physical space every day your consciousness will identify this space with yoga and you will move more quickly into yoga practice.
2. The spiritual hours are between 2AM and 6AM. The benefits of Spiritual Yoga Sadhana are maximized if you can complete your practice by 6AM.
3. Resistance to yoga practice can be eliminated by scheduling yoga practice each day just as you schedule going to work, appointments, eating meals, etc. Schedule your yoga time and never even consider that this commitment is optional or negotiable. It has been shown that it takes three weeks for a practice to become established as a regular routine. Commit to doing yoga every day for three weeks and daily practice will then become one of the most enjoyable and rewarding activities of each day. If you cannot practice yoga every day, commit to a realistic practice schedule that you can follow.
4. Wear white comfortable clothes from natural fibers like cotton. Wearing white is traditional for spiritual practice. Colors produce distinct mental and emotional responses related to their energy vibrations. Colors also attract energy vibrations. White vibrates at a very high rate and is the color of spirituality, purity and truth.
5. Spiritual Yoga sadhana is done in silence. Music is lovely but you are training your energy and awareness to respond to spiritual vibrations and rhythms.
6. It is easiest to move into your center and to maintain concentration and awareness if you practice yoga with your eyes closed. Concentrate your internal focus on the third eye (Ajna) chakra between the eyebrows.
7. The use of props like ties, blocks and sticky mats is not necessary. In Spiritual Yoga sadhana the same asana routine is practiced every day so the body will be toned and stretched to perform the postures without props. Also the use of props would interrupt the slow moving meditation of the asana flow and reduce the benefits of the yoga practice. Props can be used in the initial stages to help practitioners learn the asanas in the routine. Plastic sticky mats are unnecessary if you can practice on a carpeted area.
8. Devotional props are useful in yoga sadhana. Some practitioners have an altar or devotional items in their yoga space. I use three items during sadhana practice:
I burn incense during sadhana to evoke memories of
lovely times spent in temples, meditation centers, churches and other sacred
places in India, America and around the world.
At the beginning of sadhana practice I light a white candle and say, "I light the light of illumination so I may draw the divine light to me."
After lighting the candle, I strike a Tibetan singing bowl that produces the vibrational frequency of the sixth (Ajna) chakra to open this center of wisdom and consciousness. I let the sound vibrate into my yoga space and into me as I shift my awareness and intention to begin yoga practice. Many meditation practices begin with the striking of a bell to interrupt the current flow of mental vibrations and to move the focus of consciousness to a higher state.
9. Spiritual Yoga practice is not preceded by separate "warm-ups."
If the same asana routine is practiced every day extensive warm-ups are not necessary. Physical stretching and breathing techniques are built into the Spiritual Yoga sadhana routine to prepare the body for the traditional postures. If you feel the need for more preparation before the routine, develop a flowing series of warm-ups for yourself. Avoid yoga warm-ups that are done like calisthenics. The focus of Spiritual Yoga is to move your body and energy gracefully and rhythmically to produce a slow moving meditation.
A wonderful daily practice that will keep your body toned and stretched is to walk a half hour every day. Almost every week our national newspapers have articles discussing another health study that shows walking beneficial to lower the incidence of various diseases and to increase our feelings of wellness. When we walk outside our body absorbs fresh air, sunshine and light as additional prana to energize the body and to bring bodily systems into balance.
10. Remember to link breath and body during the asanas. Every bodily movement should be led by the breath. The Spiritual Yoga sadhana sequence is designed so one posture flows into the next after a pause for one or two deep breaths. For some postures the practice outline suggests the amount of time to hold the position, but otherwise, the time spent in "holds" is up to the practitioner. Each person has their own internal wisdom to know which postures or breathing techniques deserve more attention during that day's practice. Most yoga manuals discuss the health benefits of each yoga posture so practitioners can choose to focus longer on the postures that are beneficial to their needs.
11. The Spiritual Yoga sadhana routine takes approximately one hour to complete. Meditation time is extra as you desire.
12. Spiritual Yoga sadhana begins with prayers to align individual consciousness with higher consciousness to achieve yoga - the union of body, mind and spirit with infinite spirit. Affirmations accompany many of the asanas in the Spiritual Yoga sadhana routine. These affirmations raise and hold our awareness in higher consciousness throughout the asana routine
Prayers and affirmations may be spoken or recited silently in your mind as you prefer. Silent recitation helps us practice the manifestation of thought and intention. The Guyatri Mantra and OM are normally chanted out loud to produce the vibration of the mantra.
13. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika reminds us that "Success in yoga depends on a cheerful disposition." Spiritual Yoga sadhana moves us beyond the limitations of body and mind to the eternal center of peace, love and joy. Honor the sacred tradition of yoga by always entering practice with a joyful and open heart.