Course of
Sadhana by Swami Sivananda
From Divine Life Society
Publication “Yoga in
Daily Life” by Swami
Sivananda
1. BRAHMA MUHURTA - Get up at 4 a.m.
Answer calls of nature. Clean your teeth and wash your mouth. Take bath where
possible. Arrange to sit for Dhyana as quickly as possible, for Brahma Muhurta
is extremely favourable for meditation on God.
2. ASANA - Practise to sit in one Asana
only, preferably Padmasana or any convenient pose in which you will be able to
sit for long hours without physical strain. Sit erect with body, head and neck
in a straight line. Sit for at least one hour from 5 to 6 a.m. at a stretch
without any physical movement.
3. PRAYER - Offer mental prostrations to
Acharyas, your own Guru and Ishta Devata. Pray that all beings be happy,
peaceful and blissful. Recite a few prayer Slokas that will produce sublime
thoughts. Pray for knowledge and devotion only.
4. JAPA - Do Japa of Ishta Mantra mentally
from 5 to 10 Malas (of 108 beads) daily.
5. DHYANA - Before going to actual
meditation, practise simple Pranayama for two minutes. Feel the
indwelling presence of the Lord and his form in you. Think of the attributes of
the Lord, such as purity, love, perfection, all-pervading intelligence,
bliss-absolute, omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience of Him in and around
you. Meditate now on the form of Ishta Devata. When the mind runs away from the
object of meditation, repeat Ishta Mantra. This will steady the mind. Have
another sitting for meditation at night. Do not neglect meditation as it is
most important. Regularity in the practice of meditation is divinising of
oneself for God-realisation.
6. SVADHYAYA - Read one chapter or ten
verses of the Bhagavad Gita with meaning and any holy text which will
increase your psychic and spiritual culture, daily.
7. PHYSICAL EXERCISE - Practise Asanas, Surya Namaskara or any useful exercise for
physical movement of the body in any form best suited to you.
8. FOOD - Take light simple food. Have a
balanced diet. Fast on Ekadasi days or take milk and fruits or root only. Offer
to God every food you take.
9. SEVA - Do some selfless service for one
hour daily or for one or more hours on Sundays and holidays.
10. ENERGY - Practise abstinence from
speech and also be free from worldly thoughts for two hours daily and four to
eight hours on Sundays and holidays. Observe celibacy according to your age and
circumstances. Restrict the indulgence to once a month. Decrease it gradually
to once a year. Finally take a vow of abstinence for whole life.
11. SLEEP - Go to bed early or not later
than 10 p.m. A rest for more than six hours is not necessary.
12. SPIRITUAL DIARY - Maintain a regular
diary from the day you begin Sadhana. Stick to your daily routine at any
cost, never say tomorrow, for that tomorrow never comes. In your
practice of Sadhana in seclusion, the spiritual diary maintained, takes the
place of an absentee Guru, for, it reminds you to be regular in your daily
habits and spiritual practices.
Continue to read:
Yoga in Daily life
by Swami Sivananda
Gayathri
Japa by Swami Sivananda
Guide
to Sadhakas by Swami Sivananda
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