Morning Altars
Sadhana, Sacred Space, and Seeing the Self
Sadhana: In Search of Awareness
When I was first exposed to yoga many years ago, it was through an asana class. At that time, much of my energy was consumed by my restless mind and turbulent emotions, to the point that I had disconnected from sensation in my body. With each practice, I noticed gradual but significant changes in my mind, heart, and body. By simply moving slowly and deliberately on a mat for a little over an hour each week, I was unknowingly learning the twin skills of self-observation and self-awareness. As I witnessed my life and relationships transform over time, I wondered often: how could such a straightforward practice have such a profound impact?
This simple inquiry fueled my quest for learning more about the origins and history of yoga. To my very pleasant surprise, I discovered many enriching teachings from this ancient, time-tested wisdom practice, of which the most dear to my heart was morning sadhana. Sadhana is a Sanskrit term referring to a daily spiritual practice that uses various practices, such as asana, pranayama, meditation, mantra, reading sacred literature, or self-reflection to facilitate an inward turn and a greater awareness of the inner landscape. The purpose of sadhana is to support clarity in the mind and consciousness, which paves the way for connection with infinity within.
Sacred Space: Honoring Beauty
Sadhana invites a sense of reverence and beauty to my morning. My sadhana practice happens as I take my seat almost daily at my home altar, which has grown and changed with me over the years. My home altar lives in a specific area of my house, and is a beautiful space dedicated solely to connection. The altar holds a collection of items that are literally charged with the meaning and emotion I have given them: colorful textiles, inspiring literature, and images and sculptures that invoke the spirit of devotion. This sacred space calls to me every morning in how it honors beauty, a value that is very important to me for navigating life. An appreciation of beauty requires a slower pace - a bold choice when we consider the rapid pace of modern life.
Although the amount of time I spend at my altar has changed with the seasons of my life, the consistency of taking my seat there and doing even an abbreviated practice almost daily has built discipline, and over time, a steady inner strength, which is necessary for life’s organic challenges. Sitting in silence, reverence, and solitude, I get to be with myself and see myself. I have been introduced to qualities that I admire about myself, as well as aspects that make me cringe. At that moment, the inquiry then becomes: can I make room for all of it, and, can it all be beautiful?
Seeing the Self: Being My Own Friend
Once the unlikable aspects of myself reveal themselves, they can never be unseen. This is the turning point of the practice, the moment that requires the most effort. Like most others, I don’t necessarily want to even admit to these qualities, but the rewards of the practice of staying become evident when I can rely on myself as my own friend. My predisposition toward anxiety, perfectionism, overthinking, talking too much, moving too quickly, and absent-mindedness still exists, and my time at my altar hasn’t exactly made me calmer. Rather, my sadhana has helped me connect to the space and freedom within, no matter how suffocated and trapped I may feel. Strong feelings surface regularly in response to life experiences - and the power of my inner practice allows me to hold them and myself with a generous helping of kindness and grace. At my altar, I can be shown my true nature time and time again - who I am at an essential level, as well as the limitations of my specific body-mind makeup. My sadhana reveals which choices are accurate for me, and which ones are beyond my capacity or out of alignment with who I am. It grows humility and patience, and reassures me that all things, including my own evolution, operate on their own organic timelines, which I can choose to accept quietly, perhaps even joyfully.
My practice has helped me acknowledge that realistically, I may never achieve the endless zen-like calm that most of us associate with the life of a yoga seeker.
What I am, though, is much better.
Much kinder, more creative, more honest, and increasingly more happy.
The Altar at Home: What Ties It All Together
An altar is a possibility to look inward. If you feel inspired to create your own little altar, below are a few guidelines according to the yoga tradition to help you get started.
Your altar is a place of devotional, contemplative practice to see and connect with with your Essential Self. It functions as a mirror and outer expression of your inner world. Your altar helps ground you in daily rituals that tend to your heart and spirit, and ultimately, must be a place that is beautiful, calls to you, and where you enjoy spending time. By creating an inviting atmosphere around your home altar, it becomes energy-efficient and literally magnetizes you toward it. The primary purpose of an altar is to invoke the devotion and joyful discipline of sadhana. The power of your sadhana can transform both the physical space of your home altar, and most importantly, the altar of your mind and heart.
Creating Your Altar
Your altar can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish. Begin with a foundation, which could be a small table, a shelf, a tray or even a piece of fabric. Embellish your altar based on what inspires you and connects you to nature, your own True Self, and anything you hold sacred.
Images: nature, art, teachers, beloved people and pets
Special Items: a seashell or rock from a memorable trip, inspirational books, or oracle cards
Words of Wisdom: a written intention, prayer, poem, or mantra
Invoke the Senses and Elements:
Space and Sound: a bell, mantra, singing bowl
Air and Touch: incense, a mala
Fire and Sight: a flame (candle or oil lamp)
Water and Taste: holy water
Earth and Smell: fresh fruit, essential oils, sandalwood, crystals
Enjoy the creative process of setting up a home altar as a path to the everlasting one at your heart!
Reena Parrish spends much of her time at Jane’s House Studio, where she teaches classes in asana, communication, and contributes to the training programs. Reena also has a private counseling practice located inside the studio where she enjoys supporting her clients by mirroring back to them their uniqueness and potential, and empowering them to make choices aligned with their highest values. She loves writing, and is a regular contributor to the studio’s newsletter and blog.