11 Day Sadhanas
What is Sadhana?
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Sadhana means daily spiritual practice. The idea of Sadhana, is that for even if it is just 15 minutes right when you wake up, you get to think of you and only YOU. Truly, a sadhana can be anything that makes your heart sing. It can be meditation, a morning run or something creative. There is only one rule -- that you commit to it every day, no matter what. However, this guide specifically explains a traditional Kundalini Sadhana practice that I do daily.
It is the foundation of all spiritual endeavors. You can see in almost every spiritual tradition they encourage some kind of devotional morning practice. Sadhana is your personal, individual spiritual effort. It is the main tool you use to work on yourself to achieve the purpose of life. It can be done alone or in a group. Sadhana is whatever you do consistently to clear your own consciousness so you can relate to the infinity within you. Before you face the world each day, do yourself a favor—tune up your nervous system and attune yourself to your highest inner self. To cover all your bases, it will include exercise, meditation, mantra and prayer. Yewwww!
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During what are called the “ambrosial hours” (the two and a half hours just before sunrise), when the sun is at a sixty-degree angle to the Earth, the energy you put into your sadhana gets maximum results. That special time is called Amrit Vela, which translates as the Nectar of God. Your world is quieter. The rest of the world is asleep. You are up and there is something about the collective chitta that is peaceful. Still. It’s easier to meditate and concentrate before the hustle and bustle of the day begins. If you absolutely cannot get up early in the morning to do sadhana, then do it some other time! Doing sadhana at any time of the day or night will benefit you.
Develop a regular sadhana and you take control of your life. Develop a deep sadhana and you open the doors of experience. Commit to meet your higher Self each morning and your decisions and your life become origina and authentic to youl; your life will bear the signature of your Unique Soul; your radiance will express the meaningful intimacy of the Infinite in each moment. Immerse yourself in the joy of victory that comes from starting each day with a powerful sadhana and every challenge becomes opportunity.
The Aquarian Sadhana attunes your gunas, your chakras, and your mind to the change of the Age. This is a crazy time, even crazier with COVID and our world requiring a neutral attitude and graceful ability to adapt. The time to do Sadhana is NOW. We will need intuition, stamina, both physical and mental, self-awareness, and a new depth of spiritual experience that can hold our identity in the face of global changes, relentless competition, information overload, and ecological and environmental challenges.
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When you give two and a half hours to a spiritual source, your entire day is covered with blessings. And who doesn’t want more blessings?
I beat my EGO every single morning as my first act. My first act of the day is a Victory.
If you can wake up at 4:30 a.m. for the Divine, You can do anything!
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“The greatest reward of doing sadhana is that the person becomes incapable of being defeated. Sadhana is a self-victory, and it is a victory over time and space. Getting up is a victory over time, and doing it is a victory over space."
Solstice Sadhanas
Two Guided Live Sadhana Experiences on Zoom 4:30 am PST
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Solar Eclipse
Monday, December 14th
4:30am PST
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Celebrating the Solstice
Tuesday, December 22nd
4:30am PST
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$33 each or commit to BOTH mornings for only $50
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To Prepare For Sadhana:
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Read this WHOLE webpage​!
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Download ZOOM app
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Set your alarm. Suggestion - 4:10 am (pst) If you are new to this, maybe set a few alarms haha
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Wake up gently, stretch slowly while you are still in bed.
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Shower - preferably with a cold shower, purifying your body and preparing it for the day ahead.
(Read more on hydrotherapy. Read more about cold therapy from advocate, the “Iceman” Wim Hof.)
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Wear comfortable clothes that were not slept in
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You can even cover your head with any sort of natural cloth or hat.
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Create a sacred physical space for your daily practice, decorate it with inspiring images, flowers, crystals, or whatever suits you!
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I sit on a sheepskin. You can also practice on a natural-fiber blanket or yoga mat.
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1
JAPJI MANTRA
Sadhna begins 4:30 AM with a specific sound current called “Jaap Ji Sahib”
People either sit up and meditate to it or join along in the chant, if they read it or have it memorized.
It takes 25 minutes to finish chanting. You could spend lifetimes studying this mantra.
Find out the effects of the pauris (verses)
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2
TUNE IN
Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo (the Adi Mantra)
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I bow to the Creative Wisdom, I bow to the Divine Teacher within.
This mantra is used for “tuning in” to the divine flow and self-knowledge within each of us
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Ad Guray Nameh
Jugad Guray Nameh
Sat Guray Nameh
Siri Guru Devay Nameh
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I bow to the primal wisdom.
I bow to the wisdom through the ages.
I bow to the true wisdom.
I bow to the great unseen wisdom.
This mantra (also known as the Mangala Charan Mantra) clears the clouds of doubt and opens us to guidance and protection.
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3
KRIYA (LIGHT YOGA SET)
This is our specifically chosen "Kriya" or yoga set.
Please note that this a very quiet devotional time and the yoga set is not as instructional as a regular class and people follow the Sadhna leader in the exercises to the best of their capacity.
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SAVASANA
Deep relaxation on your back. Let the energy you activated settle.
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5
MEDITATION
Longer advanced meditation
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6
MANTRA
I recommend going with your gut or with whichever initially sounded best to you.
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CLOSING
Chant "SAT NAM" Together to end
You can either go back to bed for a post Sadhana nap "lol"
or stay up to journal, make art, play an instrument, walk outside in nature, begin your day or continue in your deep meditative state in any way you want!
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Sadhana Outline:
Two days not enough? Feeling ready to dive deeper?
JOIN THE WAITLIST
Why 40 Days?
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The main reason for repeating an action every day for forty days is to ingrain it as a habit, a new discipline. Through repetition, an internal pattern becomes to take hold. It’s momentum and flow carry you as you feel the rhythms of your body change and come more aligned. The practice that was once challenging becomes something to look forward to!
The main benefits of Sadhana are:
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COMMITMENT – doing sadhana every morning, setting as a priority “no matter what” says that you want to deepen your personal growth, understanding of life and conscious evolution. You are placing your state of being first and understanding all your experiences in your day are influenced and flow from your mental, emotional and physical state of being. We can set a true state and engage life from there.
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DISCIPLINE – the mind and ego are wily, trickster and will use all kinds of excuses to try and keep you from creating a disciplined practice of connecting and developing the Self. Committing to Sadhana every single day builds discipline as we learn not to listen to the mind and the ego.
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EVOLUTION – you’re either changing and growing as a person, or you’re stagnating. Do you want to tap into your inner potential? Morning Sadhana is one way to make sure that every single day is just a little bit better than the last one, no matter what else is going on in your life.
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FOUNDATION OF SELF – a Sadhana is like tilling a garden and planting a seed. Every day of practice you support an environment for your essence to sprout and blossom. Sadhana helps you find your foundation……your essence and express and grow from there.
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40 Days:
Practice every day for 40 days straight. This will break any negative habits that block you from the expansion possible through the kriya or mantra.
90 Days:
Practice every day for 90 days straight. This will establish a new habit in your conscious and subconscious minds based on the effect of the kriya or mantra. It will change you in a very deep way.
120 Days:
Practice every day for 120 days straight. This will confirm the new habit of consciousness created by the kriya or mantra. The positive benefits of the kriya get integrated permanently into your psyche.
1000 Days:
Practice every day for 1000 days straight. This will allow you to master the new habit of consciousness that the kriya or mantra has promised. No matter what the challenge, you can call on this new habit to serve you.
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Ready to commit to 40 days?
JOIN THE WAITLIST
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Stages of a Sadhana Practice:
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Sadhana
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Aradhana
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Prabhupati
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SADHANA
STAGE 1: Cleaning the Subconscious
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This stage is when you will be in battle with your EGO. You ego will be strong. The negative mind will also be strong. This is when you need to exercise your WILL. The will of you Soul. Your Mind will be coming up with a million of excuses why you should not wake up. Your alarm clock will go off and then a voice will convince you to go back to sleep.
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At first Sadhana seems like a negative activity, something you have to "force" yourself to do. It seems like it comes at the cost of fun, a good nights sleep and requires you to change your life. This is normal to not want to do the practice. But you DO IT ANYWAYS!
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"It seems that on a daily basis, when you do sadhana, nothing happens. But you don’t do it out of greed. You do it to conquer your laziness, your ego, your stupidity, with your essence of commitment. That’s all sadhana is. We don’t do it to 'get' anything."
Do it in DEVOTION.
ARADHANA
STAGE 2: Connecting to the Universal "Self"
After some time, potentially after a few completed 40 day sadhana commitments or even after a few years of developing a relationship to your sadhana practice - the negative feelings about getting up are gone.
As Sadhana becomes Aradhana, only positive feelings are left as a result of your personal experience.
You do your Sadhana Wholeheartedly! The higher mind is available to connect to the Universal Self.
You have had glimpses into infinity and felt a part of that infinite Oneness.
We have experienced the inner self and finally REALLY understand the sacredness and necessity of this practice.
You truly have the ability to look at your patterns and ask yourself how you want to show up in life.
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However we can also get stuck at this stage.
The resistance is no longer from whether or not you want to practice - but more from realizing one day you are just going through the motions. You find that sometimes you might fall asleep in the middle of the mantras, the meditation is mechanical, or you move through the poses without conviction or passion. Maybe you chant the words of the mantra but you don't FEEL the mantra.
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An example of this stage is when you are climbing a mountain. You make it to a high plateau and you stop to rest and look out at the valley below. However, if you stay here too long you might forget the reason you started the climb was to reach the peak. We might procrastinate climbing to the top because this level is so comfortable. We know the rest of the climb to the peak will be harder, narrower, stepper - but REMEMBER why you committed to Sadhana in the first place! This is an amazing accomplishment to get to this level of commitment and discipline but keep going!
Keep refining your practice and your discipline.
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PRABHUPATI
STAGE 3: Mastery of the Universe
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Prabhupati literally means "Spouse of God"
Once Aradhana has cleared the subconscious, you enter into Mastery of the Universe! This is a pure state of neutrality.
You have developed the capacity to see the higher perspective of your life. Our motivation is neutral. We are not motivated by any "finite" thing we are only motivated by the infinite.
We stop being attached to our past, material belongings, hopes, so that we can creatively act in the highest consciousness in each moment.
This stage represents the opening of the "Super - Consciousness"
The subconscious mind has merged with the conscious mind and there is no longer any conflict between them!
Everything is experienced in harmony, even if the outward situations "seem" challenging or disastrous.
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You feel the pain of the entire cosmos and the joy of the entire universe, yet remain in the neutral and sublime state of the mind.
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A person who is true to their Sadahana begins to glow! They literally become a shining light that can guide and hold space for others. A daily Sadhana is necessary for any spiritual teacher.
Those who have reached this divine relationship with Sadhana have a presence that can be felt.
Their presence alone simply reminds people of "god" They embody grace.
Ready to master your EGO? And master the Universe?
JOIN THE WAITLIST
"It's hard to express in words how much this 40 day Sadhana challenge has meant to me. Throughout my life, I've always struggled to separate my own emotions from others'. After only the first few days, I distinctly recall feeling my own energy. Feeling alive. Feeling whole. Saying to myself, "Oh, this is what it feels like to be me!" "Through the practice, I found my own voice and it has set my life on a whole new course. I could never have done it without Syd."
- Mike (Past Participant)
"This journey has changed my life and allowed me to truly cultivate the devoted warrior in myself through seeing my ego, releasing what isn't me and integrating what is me. It was such divine timing and a breakdown to a breakthrough. Sydney, I see you and this orchestration of Divinity. I bow to you sister. I am stepping into my own daily morning devotion with so many blessings, appreciation and joy in my heart."
- Amber (Past Participant)
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"I'm feeling life streaming back into my body and my mind is so much clearer. After this sadhana challenge I'm not going to be able to go back to how I was functioning. The contrast between a day with and without breathwork is striking. Now that I've got a taste of what I am capable of I can't allow myself to not continue developing my practice. I had a realization that If I can't show up for myself on a daily basis how can I expect to show up for others? My heart just wants to serve others but I have been serving from an empty cup."
- Sasha (Past Participant)
"Syd's energy is contagious! She has such a wise, calming, loving presence that made waking up at 4:30am every day so much easier than it ever should have been. Even in a virtual setting, with all of us spread across the world, Syd had the magical ability to create a container where we all felt so connected, supported and held throughout the whole process. It felt like being with family."
- Mike (Past Participant)
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"I had the pleasure of being led through sadhana by Sydney Strabala and it was incredibly enlivening. She invited me to join the community of high vibrational beings she had cultivated to practice at 4:30am for a series of connective practices over Zoom. When I got on the call I immediately felt a sense of calm and that I was in the right place. I credit that to the way Syd held space. Her voice is soothing and her presence is gently supportive.
By the end of the call I was shocked to realize that we had been in the flow for almost 3 hours because time seemed not to exist during the sessions. It was just focus on the present moment and the sensations being experienced at that time. I slept in the next day, but after I saw Syd’s vibrancy continue to rise through her posts on social media over the next few days, I rejoined the group to devote myself to my highest expression too.
Deciding to commit was a beautiful experience for me and it was all inspired by the fact that Sydney was literally leading by example. I did a total of around 10-15 days, and I believe she did 100 days straight! Just to know that was possible was inspiring. I now know I can raise my frequency at any time simply by choosing to show up for communion with my higher self as my foundation for the day. I would highly recommend Syd as a kundalini teacher to anyone, her presence and leadership is an extraordinary gift."
- Dijon (Past Participant)