Sankat Rahe Na Bhay, Raho Sada Nirbhay ~ Bum Bum Bhole 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Sadhus who practised yoga for centuries and passed on the knowledge though the generations, would not really care for pricey yoga mats, designer yoga gear, aromatherapy or a swanky gym room. For them, this ancient Indian practice has a completely different meaning, far removed from our Westernised interpretation of yoga. Sadhus are seen as living embodiments of the divine and are also yogis (practitioners of yoga) with knowledge of the practice passed down through generations of sadhus. Sadhus engage in some form of devotional religious practice and for them, yoga is more of a way of life ; a spiritual connection to the divine. Through their practice, they aim to rise above the materialistic trappings of the mortal world.
Yoga is also a part of their “tapasya” ; a form of meditation to achieve “moksha” or spiritual enlightenment. Most sadhus grow their hair long to show their renunciation of vanity and materialism as part of their austere life. Glowing skin and flexible bodies is not their objective. Sadhu yogis take on difficult physical challenges in order to demonstrate their strength of mind to the deities. Similarly, wellness or attaining a sense of calm is not really why they practice yoga either.
The naga sadhus shun clothing and are seen mostly wearing a loin cloth around their waist. The naga sadhus belong to the most ancient of the spiritual orders of India and are believed to be at the core of the yoga tradition. However, as Shiva himself is the founder of hatha yoga ; a kind of yoga focusing on physical and mental strength building exercises and postures that are described in the texts of Hinduism. Naga sadhus who are devotees of Shiva, will cover themselves in ash and an occasional marigold garland and perform complex asanas (postures) as a tribute to their lord. While Shiva is the original yogi, it is believed that Hindu saint Patanjali was the “Father of Yoga”. He compiled 195 yoga sutras – the basic principles of the yogic techniques in 200BC. They are seen as a path that shows the way to live a better life through yoga.
Through complex yoga postures and breathing techniques combined with intense meditation, the sadhus aim to break their attachment to the human body. Their spiritual effort is all about breaking the illusion that this human world is real. The only thing they believe to be true is the realm of the divine. There are many interpretations of what “yoga” really means but the most common one is “union” – “to yoke or join” the human soul with the divine. In other words, while we see yoga as means to stretch our muscles, become more flexible and calm down our anxieties, for the holy men in India, it is a system of self-realisation and a means to spiritual enlightenment.
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