A Podcast Featuring Sri Aurobindo Studies
March 28, 2023

Dealing with Periods of Dryness or Dullness in the Yogic Sadhana

Dealing with Periods of Dryness or Dullness in the Yogic Sadhana
Dealing with Periods of Dryness or Dullness in the Yogic Sadhana
Sri Aurobindo Studies
Dealing with Periods of Dryness or Dullness in the Yogic Sadhana
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2023/03/26/dealing-with-periods-of-dryness-or-dullness-in-the-yogic-sadhana/
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It is a frequent and Universal
experience that when an

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individual takes up the practice
of yoga, there are periods of

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great.
Enthusiasm aspiration is active

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and progress is palpable.
It is however virtually

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impossible to maintain the
intensity of the sadhna at all

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the times.
So as the action of the three

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gunas brings about changes in
the inner psychology, the

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feeling of aspiration, the
feeling of focus and commitment

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Fades and the individual is left
feeling empty or dry experiences

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withdraw and there can be
periods of time.

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I'm sometimes uncomfortably long
where one feels like nothing is

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happening, and there is no
progress nor chance of progress.

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The famous Christian Narrative
of Pilgrims Progress, takes the

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devotee, through various stages
of discontent, despondency and

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despair.
It is a true relation of the

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long dry road that is part of
the sadhna and which the Seeker

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must be prepared to withstand
and push on through until he

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comes out the other side. at
that time, the seeker can look

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back and see the actual progress
that has been made as nothing is

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lost in the sadhna and Times of
inactivity, dryness, dullness

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actually represent periods
either for consolidation of

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deeper experiences, or as times
when the basic Thomas of the

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physical Consciousness comes to
the Forefront and needs to be

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addressed.
SRI aurobindo notes, quote

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naturally the more one pointed
the aspiration of swifter the

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progress.
The difficulty comes when

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either, the vital with its
desires or the physical with its

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past habitual movements comes in
as they do with almost everyone.

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It is then that the dryness and
difficulty of spontaneous

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aspiration come.
This dryness is a well-known

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obstacle in all sadhna, but one
has to persist and not be

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discouraged.
If one keeps the will fixed even

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in these Barren periods, they
pass.

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And after their passage a
greater force of aspiration and

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experience becomes possible.
And quote reference SRI

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aurobindo in the mother growing
within the psychology of inner

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development.
Chapter 6 growth of

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Consciousness difficulties and
pitfalls Pages 119 21.