A few months back, I decided to chant a certain “love” mantra 108 times every day for 40 days. Going into this sadhana, or spiritual practice, I had no idea how much it would impact me. I just thought I’d give it a try, after reading other people’s stories of successfully using mantras to manifest various things in their lives.
But at the end of it, I was a changed woman. There wasn’t a single aspect of my life that wasn’t thoroughly transformed by the act of setting aside time to meditate on love for all those days straight. What seemed like a simple string of Sanskrit syllables turned out to be a profoundly transformative force that brought more love into my life than I can explain. Months after my sadhana ended, I am still feeling the beautiful effects in my everyday life.
Here are some of the reasons you, too, should consider adopting some kind of spiritual practice.
Most people yearn to connect with that which transcends understanding but may have no clue where to start. You might call it God, Source, the Divine…by its very nature, it defies articulation. It must be felt directly. Setting aside time and space for a daily practice (one unique to you) creates the necessary reverence to connect with a higher power, and fill that proverbial god-shaped hole.
A key component of an effective sadhana is choice. Unlike being pressured to mechanically participate in rituals with a hollow community (which may breed resentment of spiritual pursuits and consequently turn people off), actively choosing a sadhana is both a very personal – and soul-satisfying – experience.
A sadhana gives you something to look forward to every day. What more could you ask for after months of Lockdown Life? I grew to love my practice, to the point where it became the #1 thing I looked forward to every day. In fact, I loved my practice so much that I actually cried when the 40 days were up!
My biggest personality flaw is inconsistency, which is something I’ve carried plenty of shame about. So it was A Very Big Deal that I actually stuck to a practice for 40 days straight. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything that consistently of my own volition. This sadhana helped me realize that I am capable of committing to a routine if I just push through excuses and laziness.
Your sadhana will change you in ways you don’t expect. I can’t emphasize this enough. I went into mine with one goal in mind, but what I achieved was many times greater. It restored my peace, my ability to focus, my drive to create, my passion for life, and most of all my hope for the future! And that’s just the shortlist!
I could go on, but the point is you need to experience it for yourself. So if you’ve been inexplicably drawn towards fasting, meditation, chanting a mantra, lucid dream work, yoga… literally whatever personal practice…. just start, darling. You know you. Trust that instinct and show the Divine that you’re ready to connect. Your only regret will be not having started sooner!
-Alicen Grey
What would your love mantra be & why 108 times, love your post