Sadhana of Sri Vishnu, Mahadev & Mahadevi | The Making of a Sadhaka | Shweta Om

Summary

Shweta Om shares how steady spiritual practice gradually changed her meditation, emotional responses, and daily habits. She says the goal is not to meditate perfectly or without interruption, but to practice sincerely and return her attention when it wanders.

Key strategies and habits

• Build meditation time gradually. She began with a few minutes, then increased to five, ten, and eventually eleven-minute sessions, working up to nearly an hour. She advises being realistic rather than harsh with yourself.
• Gently redirect a wandering mind. Instead of judging herself for having thoughts, she notices when her attention drifts and brings it back to her focus, such as the Divine Mother or a mantra.
• Keep practicing through difficult periods. When feeling emotionally or mentally low, she suggests reducing the session if needed—perhaps to five or ten minutes—rather than giving up altogether.
• Pause before reacting. During Vishnu Sadhana, she became more aware of anger and learned to pause, consider another person’s perspective, and reflect on the situation before responding.
• Notice emotions without blame. She describes learning to recognize difficult emotions as arising within herself, while observing them without guilt or automatically blaming others.
• Make physical activity part of self-care. Sitting for long periods during practice was difficult because of pain and ankylosing spondylitis. She began fitting in 10–15 minutes of activity, sometimes more, and found that improving her fitness made sitting more manageable.
• Adapt practice to circumstances. When travel and a busy conference schedule made formal chanting difficult, she repeated the mantra alongside her breathing while walking or traveling. Her emphasis is on sincere intention and continuity, not only on completing a ritual in a particular way.

She also recommends cultivating five habits:

1. Devotion: Develop a personal, honest relationship with the Divine through regular conversation and reflection.
2. Gratitude: Appreciate what you have and trust that some things may have reasons beyond your understanding.
3. Consistency: Maintain the practice even on difficult days, even if it is brief.
4. Reading: Learn from books about meditation, wellness, mantras, and practical ways to care for the body.
5. Selflessness: Help others in ways large or small and contribute positively to their lives.

She encourages treating the spiritual journey as gradual, not competitive. Her advice is to practice with sincerity, compassion, patience, and steady effort rather than expecting immediate results.

Presenters and sources: Shweta Om (presenter); Sri Om Swami, referred to as “Swamiji”; Sri Badrika Ashram (channel).