Sadhana vs. Abhyasa

Urban Sadhu Exploration June 2025

PYS 1.12 abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṃ tat-nirodhaḥ

Meaning: By practice and non-attachment, one can stop the identification with the fluctuations of the mind.  – Austin Sanderson

PYS 1.13 tatra sthitau yatnaḥ abhyāsaḥ 

Meaning: Practice is the effort to remain in the present moment. – Austin Sanderson

In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali uses two Sanskrit terms, sadhana and abhyasa. Both can be translated into English as “practice.” Many yoga teachers use the two Sanskrit terms interchangeably; I have been guilty of that myself. But the Middle English word “practice” does not effectively and thoroughly express the complexity of either sadhana or abhyasa. The two terms differ from each other, and each refers to more than just a generic “practice.”

In PYS 1.1, Patanjali tells us that to achieve the goal of yoga, we have to stay in the atha, or “now.” In PYS 1.2, he tells us that the state of yoga is achieved by “ending the fluctuations of the mind.” By PYS 1.12, he offers a two-step tactic to both stay in the “now” and stop the “fluctuations of the mind.” He tells us that through abhyasa, commonly translated as “practice,” and vairagya, “non-attachment,” we can stop identifying with the ever-changing mind and be present in the moment.

But is the term “practice” a good enough definition to describe abhyasa? Abhyasa means taking a positive path of action and effort to develop and foster a more stable and tranquil mind. Abhyasa requires us to observe the smallest details and be consistent in our efforts to study those details for an extended period without any attachment to process, progress, or failures.

English is a very literal language and lacks Sanskrit's subtle qualities. According to the Oxford English Dictionary the word “practice” can be used as a noun, as in “a habit or expected action” or “the application or use of an idea, belief, or method as opposed to theories related to it.” “Practice” can also be used as a verb, meaning “to do something repeatedly to master or perfect it,” or “to pursue as an occupation or art form.” In a practice, I am attached to the process, my improvement, and the outcome of my efforts. The definition of “practice,” both as a noun and verb, relates to an identification with “I am the doer” (ahamkara) that yoga philosophy rejects. “I am not the body, I am not the mind. I am.” Think about how we use the term “practice” in association with yoga: “I practiced yoga today,” “I practice mindfulness,” “I practice vinyasa yoga,” or “I practice Bhakti Yoga.” These statements identify with the I-personality ego as the doer of the actions, not the witness to the action.

Abhyasa cannot be developed without vairagya, “non-attachment.” Both terms, sadhana and abhyasa, are a rejection of the attachment that the English word “practice” carries with it. For example, I could “practice” smoking cigars and blowing smoke rings, but this harmful activity would get me no closer to yoga. However, I could “put into practice” the asana adho mukha vrksasana (downward facing tree, or handstand) as a daily part of my yoga sadhana; I could study, work, and observe my efforts over long periods without any emotional or egotistical attachment to my perceived progress or lack of progress in handstand. In abhyasa, there is no Instagram “nailed it” moment; nor is there the “this is too hard … I give up” moment. In yoga, abhyasa must be coupled with vairagya; the two being applied simultaneously result in something very different than our English definition of “practice.”

There’s a familiar cliché we use, “practice makes perfect.” Practice seeks external perfection, whereas abhyasa aims to develop the ability to be the sakshi or witness. Abhyasa has three additional qualities: long time (dirgha-kala), uninterrupted (nairantarya), and reverence (satkara-asevetah). These are all qualities a “practice” may or may not have. A kid may hate practicing the piano, limit time spent on the keyboard, take frequent breaks, and have contempt for the process, yet still be able to master a piano concerto. This is not true with yoga.  A better interpretation of abhyasa may be: “constant steadiness without interruption or attachment.”

Patanjali calls his second chapter Sadhana Pada, often translated as “Chapter on Practice.” In Sanskrit, pada means “foot,” not “chapter.” Pada (“foot”) implies “a grounding,” “a base,” “a stance,” or “a stride.” The Sanskrit word sadhana comes from the root word Saadh, meaning “a means to an end” or “path to realization.” In the end, sadhana is not a “practice” but a road taken that leads to the end goal of moksha or “liberation.” This means that once on the path of a sadhana, everything is abhyasa. Abhyasa is established only when constant, uninterrupted observation of the present moment is made over long periods while on a path. The path of sadhana may incorporate many different elements of the yoga tradition, but abhyasa observes the small details of those different elements, on the path toward moksha.

Sadhana is a conscious, step-by-step process of manifesting Infinite identification in the limited human body and mind. Abhyasa is the “don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers on the way” reminder within a sadhana. For example, in our daily yoga asana sadhana, we may explore handstand without attachment to the outcome, but intensely focus on both the physical and mental actions needed to approach handstand (becoming aware of core strength, arm and upper body activation, deep calm breathing, mental clarity, and Mula Bandha) before we even start to bring both legs into the air while supporting the body just on the hands. Sadhana Pada may be better translated as “Strides on Path,” not “Chapter on Practice.”

The lesson here is that to reach the final goal of yoga, everything must become yoga (a sadhana). For the path to be effective we must observe the small details on our journey (abhyasa) all the way to the end, remaining detached (vairagya) from our struggles and achievement in our process of obtaining liberation, the final aim of yoga.

Austin Sanderson, Urban Sadhu