How Long Are Sadhanas And What Do They Do To The Mind?

Mar 20, 2020 / Kundalini Yoga

Woman sits on rock by the sea with hands in prayer position

Searching for a positive change? Striving to reach your own personal best? Whatever your goals happen to be, you’ve come to the right place. Sadhana is a process within the Kundalini Yoga practice that will help you in your journey.

This technology has been utilized by students for years and years to great effect. When you’re first starting out in this practice, committing to sadhana will make a tangible difference. So, how can you get started today? Here’s what you should know.

What is Sadhana in Kundalini Yoga?

“It’s a committed prayer. Sadhana is self-enrichment. It is not something which is done to please somebody or to gain something. Sadhana is a personal process in which you bring out your best.”
– Yogi Bhajan

If you have never heard of this aspect of Kundalini Yoga before now, let’s start with a brief definition: What is sadhana? This experience is a commitment you make as an individual to practice a particular kriya combined with meditation every day. Before you get started, you should choose the length of commitment and ensure that you understand its benefits.

Yogi Bhajan gifted his students with this technology so that they can change their habits and live in truth. It is a process of self-enrichment and personal progress that is undertaken when you feel the time is right for you. If you’re hoping to bring out your inner best and let go of old or destructive behavior, deciding to take on a sadhana commitment will be greatly favorable.

What Does It Do To The Mind?
“When we do sadhana, what do we do? We challenge the weakness, the laziness and our self-destruction. We challenge everything which is going to destroy us tomorrow.”
– Yogi Bhajan

Believe it or not, our habits define so much of our experience. When we have positive habits and practice them daily, we live in positivity and truth. However, we can also cause ourselves pain and anguish through our habits.

Negativity is a dangerous trait and one that causes us ongoing distress that could be avoided. In changing our daily habits, we will be rewarded with a wonderful transformation that radiates from within us. The change begins deep inside your subconscious mind. When you commit yourself to a sadhana, the mental impact is great and long-lasting. You will begin to experience a new outlook that has a ripple effect through your entire being.

While practicing either kriyas or meditation a few times does offer remarkable benefits, the sadhana offers a more intense transformation and one that can be sustained. The sooner you determine to change your mind, the sooner you change your outlook and experience.

How Long are Sadhanas?

“When a student commits, he doesn’t commit for the sake of commitment, he commits because the commitment is a knowledge within itself. It means getting grounded fast, getting grounded strong; it means leaning into Infinity.”
– Yogi Bhajan

If you’re hoping to permanently change your habits for the better, making a commitment to sadhanas could be the key. Yogi Bhajan taught that these commitments would help students realize the full effects of their chosen kriyas and meditation. By practicing a specific kriya combined with a meditation on a daily basis, you will start to see intense changes within yourself.

The central question here is: How long are sadhanas? Before you get started and begin your practice, you need to gain an insight here. The truth is that the sadhana length you choose will have a direct effect on its benefits. You can choose to make a commitment to sadhana for 40, 90, 120, or 1000 days, depending on your personal goals. With that in mind, here’s how each of those commitments will make a difference to your mind.

The 40-Day Sadhana

Embarking upon a 40-day sadhana is a smart way to start your Kundalini Yoga journey. Newcomers to the practice may wish to begin with this shorter commitment so that they can experience a real change within themselves. Using daily kriyas and meditation you can begin to break the negative habits that you have picked up in your life. This particular sadhana will also allow you to start to expand yourself both mentally and spiritually.

The 90-Day Sadhana

Those who are ready to take the next step in their Kundalini Yoga journey may find this next commitment to be right for them. Through the unique experience of the 90-day sadhana practice, you will become deeply changed in a truly meaningful way. This sadhana allows you to create new habits within yourself and seek out a higher consciousness. You will mentally benefit from the ongoing kriyas and meditations.

The 120-Day Sadhana

Habits can be broken. That is one fact that you cannot overlook. However, through the intense power of the 120-day sadhana, you can begin to weave your newfound habits into the threads of your psyche. Doing so will create a change that cannot easily be undone. This experience is as effective as it is empowering Put simply, you will start to become permanently transformed through your ongoing practice.

The 1000-Day Sadhana

The 1000-day sadhana allows you to become the master of consciousness and take control of your own mind. Establishing this beneficial and powerful habit will enable you to strengthen yourself mentally and become resilient. Regardless of the obstacles that life presents to you, you will be able to return back to this habit for protection and courage.

Choosing Your Personal Sadhana

Each student is unique and, therefore, has a unique set of goals. Which sadhana commitment you decide on will depend on your own personal needs and desires. Where you are in your Kundalini Yoga journey will also have a direct effect on which sadhana is right for you at this current time. Be mindful of that when selecting your personal program.

Start Your Journey Today!

Ready to commit to your personal sadhana? Now that we’ve covered how long these commitments are and what benefits you will reap, the time has come to get started. Making a commitment to self-improvement, progress, and self-love is a noble move. When you invest this time and effort in your own development, it starts to have a lasting effect on your mind, body, and soul. It’s a remarkable and beautiful change.