When You Have No Energy Left

There is a well known exchange in this tradition between Guruji and a disciple who was going through a genuinely hard stretch. Too many problems stacked up, no motivation left, barely enough energy to get through the basics of the day.

Guruji's first suggestion was the Navavarana Puja, a longer, more elaborate ritual known for rejuvenating a person physically, mentally, and on a subtler level too. The disciple was honest back: there simply was not the energy or the will to sit for two hours and do all of that.

What Guruji offered instead was the Viraja Homam, described as the single most important piece of that longer ritual, done daily, in a much shorter form. The idea is that it reconnects you with the Goddess both inside and outside yourself, steadies your subtler body, and slowly lets go of physical and mental heaviness that has built up over time.

I bring this up because I think a lot of people wait until they feel strong enough to start a spiritual practice properly, and that day never quite arrives. This story suggests the opposite order: start with whatever small piece you actually have the energy for, and let that be enough for now.