Repetition Brings Mastery | Sadhana

I entered the back door of our tiny rental to find my roommate over the stove, intently whisking again. This time, it was going to work. The emulsification would be perfect, egg yolk and butter suspended in sublime harmony – no separation, no clumps.

Not that either of us actually liked to eat hollandaise sauce.

That wasn’t the point. The point was passing her next chef school exam, which included flawlessly making hollandaise sauce on the spot.

“Recipes are rituals that promise transformation.” – Kate Lebo

Watching her, it felt like the activity was deeper than successfully making a sauce. It was as though the process symbolized her transformation from someone who enjoys cooking to a masterful chef worthy of the title. It was more than food. It felt like alchemy of food and soul.

Well, alchemy in the works….

So far, we only had gallons of oily messes and containers of egg whites to show for her efforts. Something about the temperature, whisking speed, timing of the melted butter—something wasn’t quite consistent, she explained.

“Good cooking is about being completely present with an experience as it unfolds.” – Samin Nosrat

She was determined. That whole month, I knew where to find her if she were home: deep in her “kitchen sadhana”, as I called it.

Sadhana

Sadhana is a daily practice with the intent of growing your connection with something larger than yourself, whether you call it the Divine, Light, universe, God.

Broadly, anything that is living consciously can be one’s sadhana: what and how you eat, each breath, how you act, think, speak…and make hollandaise.

Most often sadhana is associated with a daily morning activity, like yoga, meditation, prayers, or an intentional walk with the purpose of setting the intention for your day, aligning all thoughts, emotions, and actions with a higher truth.

Sadhana is a reminder (mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual) of your intention for your life. It acknowledges that a connection with something greater than yourself is a process, a decision made in each moment.

Sadhana practices typically take on two lengths: ongoing or practices of 40 days. In yogic traditions, 40 days is the symbolic duration of important transformation.

You’ll notice that sadhana practice is not typically something novel, changing every day. That’s because repetition builds mastery.

Repeating the same sequence grows your experience each time. You start with learning something new, then find you’re able to intently focus without thinking about it, and then eventually move through your practice with the fluidity of grace, connecting to something greater than yourself.

By repeating the same practice with intention, sadhana helps you build:

• An adaptable nervous system that responds to stressors and returns to balance easily afterwards, with greater heart rate variability (HRV), lower stress hormones, and a stronger immune system
• Emotional regulation by learning to observe thoughts and sensations as they arise, instead of reacting
• Greater self-awareness and focus that helps you view challenges as opportunities for growth
• Improved physical health, if the practice includes mindful movement
• A deeper connection with inner guidance, creativity, and a connection with the divine

Sadhana Sundays

I share 22-minute sadhanas that support seasonal integration and wellness on Sadhana Sunday every 6 weeks (42 days). Each sadhana incorporates guided breath work, breath-led movement, relaxation, and space to set the tone for your day.

Try the Sadhana for deep winter

I also create 5-minute meditations that focus on a specific seasonal theme.

My goal is to make transformational tools accessible so you can deeply connect to the truth and well-being already within you.

Try this season’s sadhana. Make it yours. And let me know how it shifts things for you, one day at a time.

And if, instead, it’s unparalleled hollandaise you’re seeking, I know a chef….

Image credits all from Unsplash, in order: Debby Hudson and Artem Kovalev.