The Benefits of Sadhana: Background

A few days prior to the beginning of this course, my step-father passed away.  It was not completely unexpected, as his health had been failing in the past few years.  I had a very difficult and painful history with him, and held a lot of resentment and anger towards him.  My mother, even knowing this, asked me to come while he was dying.  I thought this was to offer support for her, which I felt blessed and honored to do.  However, something else profoundly beautiful and moving occurred.  Despite the fact that he had also been unkind and abusive toward my mother for years, I observed the most pure and honest compassion I have ever seen, extended from her to him.  Also, in those final hours, I was able to release all of my anger, and forgive him.  It was a deep and profound spiritual experience for me, which I will treasure always.

Typically, after a situation like this, I would tend to sink deep into the emotionality of it.  I would internalize all the intense emotions and seek external comfort and peace.  In this case, I believe largely because of the daily sadhana, I was able to begin to process the experience in a very honest and conscious way. This was a very pivotal awakening for me.

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The Benefits of Sadhana: Abandoning the Practice

As part of this experiment, I decided to abandon my sadhana practice for a week, just to see if I noticed a difference.  This sort of backfired, as one week very easily became two, and then, even crept into three.  I was shocked at how easy it was to come up with excuses not to practice.  Mainly it was, “I need more sleep”, or “I’m too busy”.  Well, I had been just as busy and sleep-deprived in those previous months, but I still awoke around 4:30 or 5am to fit in my sadhana.  I made time for it.

Also worth mentioning, was the noticeable shift in my attitude and stress level.  I so easily reverted back into old samskaras, or patterns, allowing myself to be drawn into situations and emotions, then feeling drained.

Another thing that I observed was my swearing.  Being a mom has pretty much taught me to forego this habit…at least out loud.  During this experiment, I became very conscious of just how much I do swear, even if it is mostly inside my own head.  Suddenly, I was acutely aware of every time I silently swore at a rude driver, an inconsiderate co-worker, or sometimes just people in general, or a situation.  So, here, I realized that I had not been doing this in the past couple of months.  I noticed that it almost hurt a little each time I swore, on a subtle spiritual level.  Also, I felt like I was just hurling that angry energy out into the Universe, no matter how silent it was.

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The Benefits of Sadhana: Conclusion

I am currently trying to rebuild my daily sadhana practice.  I am finding it difficult to focus, but know that with consistency and intention…it will come.  To quote M.P. Pandit, “…surrender is not a one day affair.  Surrender is the end-product of a long process of effort.  And personal effort lies precisely in working out the determination, the will to surrender.”

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Free Yoga!

The final practicum for Axis Yoga Teacher Training graduates is open to the public.

These students have dedicated themselves intensely to the practice and now wish to share the fruits of their discoveries with you!

Sumptuous refreshments served every session!

Located at Sixth Ave UCC ~ 3250 e. 6th Ave (sixth and Adams)

~ Please bring any props if you have them ~

Dates and Times:

Session I: Sat. June 11, 3:30-5:30
“the Pelvic Girdle”
John, Courtney, Rebecca, Kayla, Nyke

Session II: Sun. June 12, 1-3
“Yoga 101”
Mike, Marla, Jo, Niko

Session III: Sun. June 12, 3:30-5:30
“Journey through the doshas”
Richard, Annie, Kari, Jenn

Session IV: Sat. June 18, 1-3
“Bhakti Yoga”
Kevin, Mary Ann, Laura T ., Jeane

Session V: Sat. June 18, 3:30-5:30
“An experience in kriya yoga”
Bob, Vanessa, Kara, Laura G.

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An Ayurvedic Experiment in Pacifying Vata

As part  of Denver-based Axis Yoga Teacher Training Program, students learn about the 5,000 year old science of Aurvedic Medicine and are guided through a self-experiment based on its principles. This student identified an imbalnce in himself which he attributes to excess vata– the dosha responsible for cold, brittle, dry and anxious conditions. By eliminating sugar and coffee from his diet over a two-week period, this student began to open up to a more healthy and beneficial lifestyle.

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Pacifying Vata: Introduction

Review of the Ayurvedic dosha attributes and subsequently taking the test in, The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies, confirmed my inclination that my dosha is predominately vata.  To summarize, several the characteristics I found compelling to come to this assessment related to my vikruti, including the physically imbalanced condition of dry skin, accented with cracked heals and cuticles particularly in the winter time, dry hair, and constipation.  Of the body types attributable to vatas, I am on the lean side with protruding veins.  Further confirming my vata prakruti is my strong dislike of cold weather from which I tend to quickly develop cold feet and hands.  Other common denominators I share with this dosha include my tendency to be in a hurry, constantly busy, walking quickly, and feeling out of sorts if I don’t exercise.  My sleep patterns are restless as I often wake up several times through the night and generally sleep between 6 to 7 hours.  Going to sleep and when I wake are about only routine behaviors I exhibit, which is approximately 10 and 4:30, respectively.

Of my imbalance issues, I decided to address my digestive issues and eating patterns.  In particular, I have had constipation issues for many years.  Often my bowel movements are a torment, as I sit for 10 plus minutes only to return to the bathroom again one or more times since I wasn’t able to clear myself.  My diet is indeed quite variable and tends not to be overly healthy.  Typical mornings for breakfast include 4 to 5 cups of coffee and anything with sugar (donuts, cake, chocolate, pastries).  Lunch generally consists of a sandwich and chips.  Snacks throughout the day are more of the sugar treats noted at breakfast.  Dinners vary in times and tend not to be organized.  Occasionally I will skip a lunch or formal dinner as I feel the need to get other things done, like exercise, and then just nibble on a few items.  On top of all this, I don’t drink a lot of water and favor soda.   I think my tendency to exercise incessantly is in part due to my bad eating habits as I rationalize that exercise will offset the unhealthy food items I put into my body.

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Pacifying Vata: Change in Diet

My experiment centered around changing various elements of my daily diet.  I eliminated coffee and all caffeine from my diet for two weeks, replacing this with a goal to drink at least 64 ounces of water at work and water during dinner.  In the morning I had a vitamin supplement and glass of Metamucil.  During the first week I had kitchuri at least once a day and replaced my processed sugar items with fruit such as bananas, cuties, and carrots as breakfast items and snacks.  During the second week my breakfasts were the same as the first week while lunches and dinners were kitcuari.  Snacks consisted of fruit, carrots, and paneer cheese.  My primary goal during the experiment period was to hopefully improve my digestive process.

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Pacifying Vata: Observations

During the latter part of the first week I noticed that my bowel movements change a little, but I was still having constipation related issues with movements lasting in excess of 10 minutes and feeling unfinished.  During this period I also noted that I wasn’t overly hungry as I thought I would be despite cutting out a lot of sugar, but was sleepy during the day.  Towards the end of the week I was still able to maintain my sleep patterns but still woke up several times during the night.  Through the two week period and continued my routine to either swim or jog on the treadmill for approximately 35 minutes in the morning.

In the second week I found my energy level increasing.  My bowel movements seemed to be more concentrated entering to the latter part of the week, with a shorter amount of time on the toilet and two to three productive movements during the course of the day.  Another interesting observation I found during the week was my craving for sweets and salty foods seemed to be dissipating.  There were plenty of temptations in the office for these snacks, but I resisted eating these, instead eating fruit or carrots.

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Pacifying Vata: Conclusion

As I completed the two week Ayurveda experiment, I feel a positive impact from the dietary changes made.  At this point it is difficult to discern if it was a combination of the incremental changes or predominately from the kitchuri fasting.  My increased energy level was rather surprising as I moved through the two week period.   Not that I was trying to lose weight but over the two week period I lost 6 pounds.  One important reflection as I wrote down daily what I ate and what I subsequently experienced was how nasty my eating habits were prior.  Just writing my pre-experiment dietary habits down was an eye-opening experience.  I intend to continue my dietary changes and assessing my digestive issues beyond this two-week period.  Although I have experienced some positive changes relative to my digestive imbalance issues, I would like to further develop eating habits which foster a healthy lifestyle and a balanced vata.

Going forward I am going to concentrate eating foods and daily practices, which calm and center the vata in me.  Review of the recommended foods for my predominate dosha revealed that some changes are in order with a leaning towards warm and cooked foods.  One habit already changed is from my morning ritual of coffee and sweets to herbal teas and fruits.  I will attempt to add a little more routine into meals; however, this may be difficult given the hectic activities with my two boys.  In conclusion, the experiment was fun and beneficial given its potential to make a long lasting difference in my health.

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Putting Together the Ayurvedic Puzzle

Ayurveda, the sister-science to yoga, has many pieces for preventing disease and prolonging life. Axis Yoga Teacher Training students have the opportunity to begin their Ayurvedic journey through a personal experiment. This student, like most, began with a few changes and plans to continue embracing more Ayurvedic principles in the future.

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