Morning Sadhana is the daily practice of waking up in the Amrit Vela time (2 1/2 hours before the sun rises) to meditate and chant God’s Name.  In the words of Yogi Bhajan, “Sadhana is nothing but where a disciplined one, the love, talks to one’s own soul. It is nothing but where one cleans his own mind.”  Depending on individual community schedules, Aquarian Sadhana generally takes place somewhere between 3:30 am and 7:00 am.  The schedule starts with Japji (Prayer); followed by Kundalini Yoga; followed by the Aquarian Sadhana Meditations; followed by a Gurdwara (Sikh Service).

Our identity as a Sikh represents a discipline of comprehensive commitment to our higher consciousness, which Sikhs believe is a direct connection to God.

Our life force is based on the sun’s energy, and when the sun hits the sixty-degree angle, we are on the sliding projection of the top peak of our mental projection. This time of day can be called Picha, Amrit Vela, “Ambrosial Hours,” or other names.

All those who do Sadhana have to deeply commit to that particular hour. Because that is the hour when a person wants to sleep. It is the most burdened hour because, even if we do not rise to meditate, we will often not have the energy to sleep restfully. Instead, we dream. Even when we sleep for eight hours, scientific studies on sleep patterns prove we are generally only in deep sleep for approximately one hour—traveling up and down in deep and light sleep, like a roller coaster, through the night. In the REM (rapid eye movement) state we are dreaming and losing energy.

Sikhs believe that during the ambrosial hours, when the sun hits sixty degrees up from the nadir, we are at our best. When the sun hits any longitude and latitude at sixty degrees, we can change our attitude and inner vitality to gather the virtues. When we rise in the ambrosial hours, meditate, and empty our subconscious mind, the unconscious mind can bring in virtues and opportunities. That is Simran—self-purification. Those who practice Sadhana have increased vitality, and increased vitality gives us the opportunity to embrace our destiny.

Amrit Vela Sach Nao—Sikhs believe that when we rise in the ambrosial hours, and praise the Infinite Lord, we will be covered. The gate of salvation will be within our reach. In the ambrosial hours, many devotees and Gursikhs are awake. They all meditate and do their Nitnem. Thus, a huge combining of the forces in the heaven showers blessings on the people of earth who are awake at that time to receive the blessings. This is ecstasy.

~Resource: this information was originally shared in the book Living Reality (1994) by Bibiji Inderjit Kaur Khalsa.

Here are a few quotes by Siri Singh Sahib Ji about what Sadhana is and the benefits of Sadhana:

The greatest reward of doing Sadhana is the person becoming incapable of being defeated. Sadhana is a self- victory, and it is a victory over time and space. When you have to get up for Sadhana it is a defeat (of your ego) in itself because, you don’t want to get up. When you get up, it is a victory over time and when you do it, it’s a victory over space.  That’s what Sadhana is.  Sadhana is only for you.  Sadhana is a self-victory. Through Sadhana you can defeat your all miseries, misfortunes and handicaps. It’s a personal thing, it does not relate to anybody else. ~ 7/7/1981

Sadhana means spiritual practice. It is the 10% of our time that we give to God in the Ambrosial Hours of the morning. The radiance of your spirit can be measured according to how the name of God vibrates within you and around you. If your sadhana is perfect, your spirit will be high. If you have forgotten to chant the name of God, you will be in the doldrums. If you become low & depressed, it is only because you have not warmed up your machine in the morning, you have not done your spiritual practice.

SADHANA – Communicating With Your Soul.  Sadhana is nothing but where a disciplined one, with love, talks to one’s own soul. Is nothing but where one cleans his own mind. Sadhana is nothing but where one prepares for the day to become kind and compassionate for everyone, including the enemies. ~ 7/26/1990

Try to engage your mind in sadhana. Try to get up in the early morning. Try to understand that the time is now and now is the time. Those who feel they love God are fine, but those who get up in the morning for sadhana, God loves them. God created this whole universe just to love. God has a special time available to each of us – when you rise in the 2 ½ hours before the rise of the sun, the ambrosial hours, and synchronize your mind and heart to praise God, God listens. God feels it so much and falls in love with you so much, that it seems unbelievable. In return that Creator touches you with vastness and cleanses your mind. You become fearless, innocent, and pure.

Sadhana (consistent spiritual practice) is not a miracle. It is just imprinting the molecules in an elevated form. ~ 2/15/1999

SADHANA (Spiritual Practice) – Communicating With Your Soul.  Sadhana is nothing but where a disciplined one, with love, talks to one’s own soul; is nothing, but where one cleans his own mind.  Sadhana is nothing, but where one prepares for the day to become kind and compassionate for everyone, including the enemies.  ~7/26/1990

Getting up for sadhana in the morning is totally a selfish act – for personal strength, for personal intuition, for personal sharpness, for personal discipline, and overall, for personal absolute prosperity. ~5/14/1989

“Three virtues of Sadhana:  1) When you have your own mind under your control, intuition will give you all the knowledge of the world.  2)When you have control of your mind through your social and structural facets, you have the answer to everything.  3)  When you have control of your own mind, you can see the soul and God right within you.”

Read more in this article:  Sadhana to Build Our Radiance

Visit our Sadhana Practice page for more teachings and support for daily Sadhana practice.