“Those who practice discipline have to be very generous to themselves. Discipline should never be rigid. Discipline should be self-acknowledging, so that you can go along with it.” – Yogi Bhajan
Sadhana, or daily practice, is the foundation of developing and deepening your experience with Kundalini Yoga. Traditionally, this involves getting up in the amrit vela, the nectar hours just before sunrise, when the world is still quiet and when we can most deeply meditate. The morning practise consists of practise of shabd guru (sound current through repetition of prayer), yoga exercises, and meditation. Just as when people tithe they give 10% of their earnings, with sadhana, it is encouraged to give 10% of your day to the Infinite – so, about 2 1/2 hours.
Not everyone STARTS with this level of sadhana, however, and it is worth remembering the above quote about discipline, and not setting standards so impossibly high you cannot hope to meet them. Learning to be flexible with the practice, and making a commitment out of love, for what feels good to your body, for what uplifts your spirit, is a good starting point. If you are new to the practice, or short on time, there are many powerful kriyas and meditations that can be done in just a few minutes. Over time, you may find yourself feeling good and wanting to do more…and this is how your practice can naturally expand. One example of a good morning sadhana is Sat Kriya.
Sat Kriya
This is considered both a kriya and a meditation, and is often practised at the end of a yoga set, but can also be practised on its own. It is a powerful exercise for raising energy, and therefore works well as an early morning wake-up exercise. You may find yourself becoming hot as you practise – this is normal. Sat Kriya can be practised from 3 mins – 2 1/2 hours (building up your practise slowly; you may start with 3 mins, then 5 mins, 11 mins, 22 mins, 31 mins). It is recommended you rest in corpse pose on your back afterwards, for double the length of time you practised (up to a maximum of 3o mins).
Posture: sit on your heels (rock pose), and bring the arms straight up over the head, keeping the shoulders relaxed.
Mudra: interlace the fingers (venus lock), with the left thumb on top (if you are a woman) or the right thumb on top (if you are a man). Straighten the index fingers, so they are pointing straight up.
Eye focus: eyes are closed and focused at the third eye
Mantra: Chant “Sat” (rhymes with ‘but’) pulling your navel both in and up and “Naam” allowing the navel to relax. On the end of Naam, let your lips part (this will automatically allow a breath in). Chant 8-10 repetitions of the mantra in 10 seconds.
To finish: Inhale, suspend the breath in,