Saints and sages throughout time, across the world religions, and throughout the world today, have risen in the early morning hours to contemplate the divine between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m., before the coming of the light of day.

Sikh Dharma teaches that everything a person needs exists within himself or herself and that we don’t need anything outside. Sikhs believe that we only need to touch the waters of Divinity that live within us. And by experiencing that place, life comes into a perfect balance.

Sikhs believe that the very best time of day to experience one’s Higher Self is during the hours before sunrise. This time of day is known as the Amrit Vela – the time of Deathless Consciousness

During the Amrit Vela, the channels in the cosmos are the clearest and most receptive. There is also a soothing, mystical time in the twilight of the day from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m that is most favorable for evening worship. Prior to this time, the energy channels are most congested, and then as the sun sets, its energy is withdrawn from the earth, and the channels open. The morning Banis (Sikh prayers) are designed to prepare the ten bodies for the day, and the evening Banis to lift the spirits as the sun’s energy withdraws from the planet in the evening. 

During this time, Sikhs beliee that the mind is calm enough that we can meditate deeply. Life around us is still. Sikhs practice Sadhana in the Amrit Vela so that they can connect with their own Infinity before the hustle and bustle of the day begins.

The schedule for the Aquarian Sadhana practiced by many on the Sikh Dharma path is as follows: Japji Sahib (Sikh morning prayer); followed by Kundalini Yoga; followed by the Aquarian Sadhana Meditations; followed by a Gurdwara (Sikh Service).

Resources: “Sadhana: Daily Spiritual Practice,” Sikh Dharma International (https://www.sikhdharma.org/spiritual-practice/) and Living Reality (1994) by Bibiji Inderjit Kaur Khalsa.