Sadhana (sādhanā): The Practice Itself, Not the Result

Derivation

Sādhanā comes from the root sādh, to accomplish or bring about. It names the means by which something is achieved. A sādhaka is the one doing it; siddhi, accomplishment, is what the effort aims at.

What the texts actually say

Patanjali addresses practice directly in the first chapter. Sutra 1.12 says the fluctuations of the mind are stilled by abhyāsa and vairāgya — practice and dispassion. Sutra 1.13 defines abhyasa as the effort towards steadiness, and 1.14 adds the condition that decides everything: it becomes firmly grounded when pursued for a long time, without interruption, and with sincere attention. The second chapter is called the sadhana pada, the chapter on practice, and lays out the limbs in order.

What a sadhana looks like

It need not be elaborate. Twenty minutes at the same hour — some breathing, some sitting, perhaps a round of japa — is a sadhana. An hour done twice a month is not, however good the hour was. Traditional schools favour the same time and place daily, largely because it removes the decision.

Sadhana and mood

The point is that it happens whether or not you feel like it; practice on a flat day is not wasted, and the tradition would say it is exactly the day that counts. Equally, forcing practice through illness or injury is poor judgement rather than devotion — scaling the session down is part of keeping the thread unbroken.