3616: Want to Feel Balanced? Learn How to Start Each Day with a Sadhana by Kate Hesse of Nourish Nest Breathe

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[00:00:44] [SPEAKER_02] Ausgeruht sein? Ganz einfach. Trainiere deinen Schlaf und werde auch du zum Morgenmenschen. Mit der Galaxy Watch 7 oder dem Galaxy Ring und der Samsung Health App.

[00:00:55] [SPEAKER_00] This is Optimal Living Daily. Want to feel balanced? Learn how to start each day with a sadhana. By Kate Hess of NourishNestBreathe.com. I'm your narrator Justin Malek. Welcome back or welcome for the first time if you're new here. This is where I read to you every day of the year from some amazing articles with the author's permission in an effort to make your and my days even just a tiny bit better. So with that, let's get right to our next article as we optimize your life.

[00:01:27] [SPEAKER_00] Want to feel balanced? Learn how to start each day with a sadhana. By Kate Hess of NourishNestBreathe.com. I'm sure you've heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It's the meal that helps you set the tone for the rest of the day. Similarly, having a sadhana practice is critical to maintaining your balance throughout the day. Just like breakfast helps steer your cravings throughout the day, your morning sadhana helps you set your mental and emotional trajectory for the day.

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_00] What is a sadhana? I like to collect words from other languages which neatly sum up in one word what would take a full sentence to explain in English. Sadhana is one of those words. This single word is held not only a set of experiences and activities, but also an emotional state. Sadhana is Sanskrit for a daily spiritual practice. First, take a deep breath. I know that spiritual can be a triggering word for many people.

[00:02:26] [SPEAKER_00] In yogic teachings, the divine resides in all of us. The way I view sadhana is as a practice which helps me connect to the truth at my core. Capital T truth, that which is left when the cloudy lenses of assumptions and beliefs are removed. My sadhana practice begins before I even open my eyes in the morning and ends with a nourishing breakfast each day. Over time, I've refined my practice to be exactly what I need

[00:02:54] [SPEAKER_00] to fill my cup and set my intentions to carry throughout the day. How to build a sadhana? Just as we are each unique, each of us will have a unique sadhana. Your first step is to determine how much time each morning you can devote to this practice. From 10 minutes to several hours, your sadhana will depend on both your needs and your schedule. If you're having trouble finding at least 10 minutes in the morning, try conducting a personal energy audit

[00:03:24] [SPEAKER_00] or learning how to productively procrastinate to help you reclaim time in your life. Once you know how much time you can devote to your sadhana each day, the next step is to determine what activities leave you feeling nourished, restored, and inspired to tackle your day. Just a few options include journaling, meditation, pranayama or breath work, reading, taking a walk, drinking your coffee or tea in quiet contemplation,

[00:03:53] [SPEAKER_00] a sauna or yoga poses, and sitting outside in nature. The goal is to select activities which lead you inward, allowing you the space to go deep and connect to your authentic self beneath the cloudy lenses of assumptions and beliefs and emerge with the fortitude and clarity you need to take on the day. Pick activities which fit into the time you have available without feeling rushed. For example, if you only have 10 minutes, but a walk around your neighborhood takes 15 minutes,

[00:04:22] [SPEAKER_00] it's better to pick another activity rather than trying to speed walk, which will result in the exact opposite of what we're going for. If you have 20 minutes for your sadhana, but find you can only sit in meditation for 10 minutes, then maybe you combine that with 10 minutes of journaling each morning. Your sadhana is not set in stone. This practice is a living process. Your sadhana may look different on weekends versus weekdays, and it may change as the seasons change

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_00] and outdoor activities become more or less desirable. You'll also find that what you need when you first create a sadhana will not necessarily be what you need several months later. If at any point you feel that the nourishing and restoring power of your sadhana has decreased, it's time to reevaluate the practice. Perhaps you no longer need guided meditation, but would prefer silent meditation or vice versa. Maybe you'd get more out of journaling than reading.

[00:05:20] [SPEAKER_00] Be willing to adapt and experiment to ensure you have a practice that works for you. What does my sadhana practice look like? I've built a life where I have a sadhana which is approximately two hours. There are days I need to shorten this because of appointments or other commitments. However, I always feel like my mental, emotional, and energetic tank runs out faster on those days. My practice starts in the morning before I even open my eyes.

[00:05:47] [SPEAKER_00] I silently repeat a mantra while visualizing it coming into being. Currently, I'm working with a healing mantra. I spend a minute or two visualizing the mantra until it feels like things could not be any other way. Once I get up, I use the bathroom, get myself a cup of tea, make the bed, and roll out my yoga mat. I do somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour of asana yoga poses. Currently, this is followed by 15 minutes of silent meditation.

[00:06:17] [SPEAKER_00] In the past, I've also done guided meditation, pranayama or breath work, and chanted mantra. Then I pull cards from a few decks to help with inspiration for my day and read the daily passage out of words to live by while finishing off my cup of tea. I mark the end of my practice with a nourishing breakfast, which helps me create a transition between my sadhana and my daily schedule. What my sadhana looked like when I was working a 9-to-5 job.

[00:06:45] [SPEAKER_00] If you just heard that last section and thought, there is no possible way that I have that kind of time or energy to devote to a practice each morning, I hear you. It took me years before I was ready to devote that much time and energy to the practice. Here's what my sadhana looked like when I was working for someone else and was expected to be at work at a certain time each day. I'd visualize my affirmations for a minute or two before opening my eyes, just as I do now.

[00:07:13] [SPEAKER_00] The affirmations have changed, but I find this such a valuable technique that it has stayed a constant in my sadhana over the years. Then I'd get a shower and get dressed, trying to be as mindful as possible throughout the process, noting the feeling of the water on my body, the smell of the soap and shampoo, the texture of the clothing as I got dressed. I'd make the bed and then sit right down on it and do 3-7 minutes of guided meditation. And that was it.

[00:07:41] [SPEAKER_00] You could start with a practice like this and add just 5 minutes a day to your schedule. The nourishment I got from it didn't tide me over nearly as long as my practice does now, but it helped me get started and it made a dramatic difference in my life over the days when I did nothing. Ready, set, go. If you are ready to find a healthy balance in your life, starting your morning with a sadhana practice could be just the thing.

[00:08:08] [SPEAKER_00] Try sticking with a routine for a week and then evaluate how you feel. I bet you'll find that, at least for the first part of your day, you find you have a greater sense of balance and calm than you normally do. You just listened to the post titled, Want to Feel Balanced? Learn how to start each day with a sadhana by Kate Hess of NourishNestBreathe.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. This show is sponsored by Liquid IV.

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[00:10:25] [SPEAKER_00] Turn those dreams into and give them the best shot at success with Shopify. Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at shopify.com slash old. Go to shopify.com slash OLD. Shopify.com slash old. Thank you to Kate. I learn something new every day with this podcast. I only know Sadhana as an Indian name, but didn't know the meaning or anything like that.

[00:10:55] [SPEAKER_00] Maybe if you know a Sadhana, you can send them this episode and see if they knew about this. But anyway, apparently I've been starting my days with a Sadhana without even knowing it. I've talked about it before. The first thing I've been doing lately after waking up and using the restroom and brushing my teeth, etc. is going outside and getting some sun with a little bit of stretching and or really light Tai Chi. Then I'll have breakfast and do 20 minutes of meditation.

[00:11:23] [SPEAKER_00] Right now, that being the transcendental type of meditation, because I find that a bit less painful, both physically and mentally, and more relaxing altogether. And at that point, it's probably the transition out of my daily Sadhana. And that's probably, I don't know, 45 minutes to an hour. So maybe you're doing this already yourself too. But if not, maybe this is something you can try. You can pick one small thing to start your morning with intention, even if it's just a minute of deep breathing.

[00:11:53] [SPEAKER_00] And try it out for a few days. Baby steps do go a long way. Let me know what works for you. Thank you for being here, listening every day. Have a great weekend. And I'll see you tomorrow, where your optimal life awaits.