At Sadhana, we’re dedicated to all aspects of yoga
asana
Bringing asana (postures), chanting, meditation, and breath awareness together offers a clear path for enhancing health, well-being, and spiritual growth. Sadhana Yoga Hudson shares the rich history, philosophy, and teachings of the yoga tradition to students and teachers alike.
Focus of the Month
In the history of yoga, the first texts we have are the Upanishads and the teachings from the rishis were very simple: sit straight and meditate!
We’ve come a long way since then, or have we? As we embark on a path of experimentation with our yoga practice, might we also expand our view of meditation? Do we need to sit straight? Can we practice with different postures and potentially more ease and less formality?
We find that when the body is opened through the practice of yoga, the mind will follow; everything is connected!!! Looking a bit deeper and incorporating gentleness, space and time, meditation practice can actually be an investigation into freedom. If we proceed with patience, kindness and curiosity then freedom is possible; freedom from our attachment to thoughts that bind us, from suffering. We can either be a slave to our own mind, or we can investigate further: Is this thought I’m having really true? Who would I be without that thought?
It can be helpful, perhaps even essential, to practice meditation in the safety of the yoga studio, but meditation practices can be taken off the mat and be of great help when we are distressed, anxious, or sleepless. To simply sit quietly, breathe deeply, and attend to our own inner landscape might give great relief.
June is a month of holiday travel, graduations, commitment ceremonies, and meditation is a way to center ourselves. We will explore different approaches this month, from the rich teachings available to us right now. But you don’t have to wait until you come to class; try 5 minutes at home in the morning, before the rush of the day. It could change your mind.