Well, I'll get the comments started now that I have more time to update!

The first week of the Challenge was very different from the second for me.

Week 1: Get up at 6/6:30, 1-1.5 hours of sadhana, go to work.

Week 2: Time change! Get up at 7:30/8:00, 20-30 minutes of sadhana, go to work.

This made me look at a number of things - amongst them was contemplation on Tamas, one of the [i]gunas[/i], or qualities of existence. It's associated with black, with Maa Kali's black skin and black eyes. Amongst other things, it is associated with what's integral to our bodily existence - sleep, eating, sex. Instinctual drives and behaviors. Some more conservative traditions have labeled Tamas as "bad," but in fact Tamas is not bad or good - it's simply necessary. We all need sleep, food, sex to keep our bodies and the human species going. These are things to be celebrated and honored - like all things, in moderation and awareness.

In Tantra, sadhana is a unifying process, engaging us fully in our body, mind, spirit - which correspond roughly to Tamas, Rajas and Sattva, the three qualities of existence.

Speaking on a purely personal level, by setting a firm schedule for sadhana, I can bring more mindfulness to my bodily existence, by bringing fierce awareness to my sleeping patterns. Sleep is necessary and good! And it can also be a hindrance for me if overindulged, just like anything else. When I wake early and perform sadhana early in the morning, I feel more refreshed and able to engage fully in the world. When I sleep in, my mind is more cloudy and dull.

So my goal going into the next week of the Challenge is to get back to the earlier schedule. And to continue to send support and blessings to all of you each morning, as you do your own sadhana.

Jai Maa!
