Ask me to write something about yoga, and it will always boil down to Sadhana. Since hearing the formal term, Sadhana, in my 200 hr teacher training, its importance in my life has only grown. Sadhana is a daily practice, a devotion to discipline and the pursuit of self-evolution. It can be the repetition of a simple mantra everyday, a physical practice, meditation, or anything that one devotes themselves to within their daily routine. Most of us have a Sadhana practice without even realizing it, like—hopefully—brushing your teeth.

Though there is debate amongst those serious yogis on whether or not there should be the allowance of flexibility in Sadhana, my own has fluctuated rather frequently. My sadhana has become a time capsule in a way, reflecting the different moments in my life and what course of action would be the most beneficial in navigating the circumstances. Thus, the devotion to one task, whether it be physical or a more mental practice, is the one requirement I have of myself each day.

The expanded free time of the summer allowed for, if we were to call it this, my “ideal” daily practice. In the balanced diets of Sadhana, mine reached the pinnacle of what it could be with the time to include a physical flow, pranayama, and my first foray into journaling, every day. And as those uber orthorexic diets tend to go, the reality of this routine sticking, especially when time becomes a constriction, is very slim. With the looming reality of Icelandic Winter in the city, my sadhana has shifted to a more bare bones approach. It has required me to really reflect on which aspects of my yoga practice give me true equilibrium, while challenging me just enough to keep self-improvement in mind.

It looks different for everyone. Sadhana doesn’t need to be prescribed from the Sutras or what you think might sound “really good” to those around you. Be intentional. Be selfish. Think about what brings balance to your life, about what may push you, then bring both those elements to your daily practice. The consistency, no matter in what form, is the key to developing Sadhana