Yoga has been a part of my life for quite some years now but to be honest, I only felt the need to dig deeper into it in the past 5 years.
At the beginning, yoga meant mere physical excercise (although I knew it was a lot more for yogis). I enjoyed going to yoga classes, feel the heat, the stretch, the tonification and the ecstatic feeling it brought after savasana (final relaxation). I tried meditating without knowing if I was doing it right but it also felt pleasant (when it did not last too long).
Today, I still enjoy the physical part of yoga. But as my body starts feeling great and relaxed I automatically look for more: quieting the mind, getting connected with my true self and grasping these magical moments of stillness that are so scarse in todays hectic world.
Yoga is a neverending journey that accompanies you all through your life and gives you what you recquire at each stage. As you get to know yourself deeper, you remove layers, yoga gets deeper.. It is an easy, pleasant, natural process which you do not need to force onto you.
The stage I am at at present calls for Sadhana.
Sadhana is a sankrit word meaning "a means of accomplishing something". A lot of people define sadhana as a spiritual way towards true self accomplishment . You can find many guides and tips on how to conduct your personal sadhana. I see it as a ritual to being with yourself daily. Unplugging from external noises as well as quieting your mind to walk on your personal growth path, feel better and remind yourself of what is really important in your life.
Sadhguru rightly says that "Everything can be sadhana. The way you eat, the way you sit, the way you stand, the way you breathe, the way you conduct your body, mind and your energies and emotions – this is sadhana. Sadhana does not mean any specific kind of activity, sadhana means you are using everything as a tool for your wellbeing."
I personally practice mine early in the morning. Yes, I do set my alarm earlier and believe me I am not an early bird... It just feels right and I need it. My sadhana is a mix of soft yoga postures, breathing excercices, mantras chanting and meditation.
If you too feel you would like to start a sadhana, here is an interesting video by Sadhguru:
Happy Sadhana!
Namaste!