Beyond Sadhana: why Preparatory Practices & Dhyana Sloka are Key to Lasting Results

Ancient traditions of spiritual wisdom - yoga, meditation, and chant are intricate and precise pathways designed for the profound awakening of our deepest human potential. This journey of inner transformation requires a structured approach, recognizing that the seeker's entire system—body, energy, and intention—must be harmonized before true Sadhana can unfurl

At the core, practices favor precision when dealing with our complex system of energies. Be it yoga, meditation, or chant, preparatory steps are prescribed to equip energy levels, chakras, or pranas. These steps bring deep harmony and stability to the system.

We do need to prepare the system before touching a high-tension wire, don’t we? Like a skilled electrician preparing to handle high-voltage energy, spiritual practitioners meticulously prepare their inner system to channel extraordinary consciousness. Yoga aligns your geometry with the cosmic geometry. Like the “hole-in-the-wall” game- if your geometry allows you to pass, you effortlessly do. Yoga also.makes you lighter and smaller, not just in the physical plane. It makes you subtler in the planes that really matter. And once it's time to pass, you pass easily.

Preparatory practices plough our lower selves to let the higher energy or potential to awaken, rise, emerge, play, and perform!

In Mantra sadhana, or the practice of using sounds to awaken certain dimensions within our system, certain initial rituals are set, depending on the chant chosen. It could be an opening mantra (dhyana shlok), a breath exercise, a lamp, or devotional rituals like fire rites or observances. People usually smear consecrated materials like bhasm, chandan, kumkum, and turmeric on specific body parts to make the system more receptive to the deity or mantra. Certain sitting postures are also adopted for similar effects.

In Yoga, we follow a specific order consisting of preparatory practices, Hatha Yoga, Kriya Yoga, meditation, and then Samyama.

In a way, it takes us through the levels of the physical body, the subtle body, the lower chakras, the higher chakras, and then to Kundalini. The deeper the layer, the higher it is, and the subtler it is. 

We go deeper, higher, and subtler with each step.

Each time we practice our sadhana, it leaves an impact. But as other activities and tendencies take over, the effects wear down. Particularly if our lower selves lack the capacity to hold the results in the bliss-body (Anandmay Kosha), the assets ‘go to seed.’

Concluding practices (in yoga) and Phala Shruti (after chant) sort, settle, and store the fruits, effects of Sadhana. Maintaining heightened awareness comes more easily to advanced practitioners.

To truly enter a meditative state, you need to stay consistent with your preparatory routines. This helps build a solid base and guides your consciousness in the right direction. When both of these are strong and done just right, you easily tap into your limitless potential.

The magic lies not just in experiencing profound states but in developing the capacity to sustain them.