Obstacles faced at The Sattva Yoga Academy

Sadhana means to “tune in”, and is the fundamental everyday practice that we as yogi and yogini commit to reaching Liberation or Mokṣha.

Each one of us, as individual and unique human beings, and have our own peculiar ways to adjusting ourselves in behaviour, ego, alignment of bodies (emotional, mental, physical, spiritual) in order to permit to the energy, prana, to flow naturally and lead us to liberate, heal, let go, clean and transcend obstacles to personal evolution in the process of expanding the consciousness.

Sadhana is constituted by a sequence of yoga, meditation, and rituals, given form the master, teacher or Guru.

Why do we need instructions?

It is really important to find someone that can lead us in this process because it is very challenging to see oneself from “outside” and correct and see what is really needed for evolutionary work and liberation, at least at the beginning.

But it’s also true that knowing when the beginners-state ends are also quite complicated… but this is another kind of story!

At Sattva Yoga Academy, I found the best way to stay committed to Sadhana for me to work with mental tricks that mind will make to seduce me in procrastinate the practices and sabotage my personal evolution.

There are so many mind-tricks and every day there is a new one like: “Today you are tired, maybe you need to sleep more!!” Or “You don’t need this practice, you already got it, you can go faster and skip it!” Or “Is better if you check email first, and then you can have your Sadhana”.  Or “Is not good for you to make every day the same thing, it’s boring!” or again... “Maybe you need an energetic walk, instead of seating for thirty minutes in silence!”

The movement of the mind is endless, as endless are the stories that can make up to take us out of focus to practice. The more we have the knowledge, and intelligence, the more these stories will be really well made up and appear real!

There is a very hard tendency in human being’s nature to NOT change and also to keep the conservation of the present state: change requires a lot of energy, more than keeping things the way they are… or complaining because they are not changing.

So the first thing we have to be really aware of is the commitment to that change.

Are we really ready to let go of all the old habits?

Are we really ready to achieve a newer and better state in life?

Once we have established this straight commitment, and are decided to change, we can deal with obstacles.

When a tendency to procrastinate comes, we can observe it as part of the Sadhana and say to it: “I know you are only a voice in my mind, and this is not real.” We can play with it! Don’t ever take that voice seriously, but instead set alarm even earlier in the morning, and make an action that is opposite to the tendency of sabotage.

One powerful key is to take actions!

Be very aware that yoga is all about practice, and any other decision for not to practice is the opposite of this principle.

One other thing that can be very helpful is to share part of Sadhana with some other yogi or yogini, as practice yoga together or meditation, especially at the beginning, can be very helpful.

As more we go further with Sadhana, the gift we receive is that it will become part of our life, Sadhana itself will be our life and naturally flowing with all activities of the day and gradually will make deep and powerful changes.

Habits can be also being built as positive habits, so once our body will be happy with what is happening, it will be easier to maintain the new habits.

So one last suggestion is to focus on the intention that made you the first time to step on the top of your mat or sit on your meditation cushion, which will keep the willingness to proceed strong and still.

Take a few moments every day to connect to that initial motivation, and you will see the difference in the practice instantly.

May you have you an intense, passionate, and powerful Sadhana!

And…never forget to smile, and play with the obstacles: they are part of this beautiful life…

Have an uplifting and energetic day.

With love,

Francesca

Also read - Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh, India.