In the beginning of almost every Yoga class I have attended the teacher will ask you to set an intention or a Sankalpa for your practice. This term comes from the Sanskrit roots san, meaning "a connection with the highest truth," and kalpa, meaning "vow." Unlike a goal, a sankalpa is the hearts deepest intention, a way of taking our ego out of the setting. Instead of setting an intention to be strong and muscular, you set the sankalpa to be at peace and love your body.
Every year at this time the studio prepares for the onslaught of the "resolutionists" Yes. I made up a word.
This is the time of year that we start afresh! Gym memberships, running plans, yoga classes and even quitting smoking! It's really hard to stick to a resolution when you have life going on. I’m not going to lie when you have the following conditions in place in your life:
A life you hate
No emotional support
Too much going on
No regular meditation practice in place
You have to get up early to travel to work each day that’s an hour or more away; and/or
Are in a job you dislike
It’s hard to put resolutions (and any other practices) into place in your life. This is where we have to start approaching life authentically. You find a way to prioritize this practice in your own life, whether it’s by working towards finding a new career or speaking your true voice.
Do you make a conscious effort to focus your attention on your goals every day? So many of us have grand goals for ourselves and a huge desire to achieve them, but we struggle. Maybe we get distracted and lose track of our vision. Maybe our goals seem so large that we put off acting until tomorrow. If this sounds familiar, have you considered setting daily intentions? The act of setting intentions is one of the best ways you can keep yourself on course to meeting goals and achieving the level of happiness you desire. Intentions provide you with the focus you need to progress towards what you want to achieve. No matter what it is you are after, like a new relationship or starting a career, intentions can help you get there.
Let's start here:
Craft a meaningful intention-
꙳ Make It Personal- First, connect to your “Why”.
꙳ Make it Positive-Intention is much more powerful when framed from a place of abundance and positivity rather than from a place of lack or need. Be mindful of using positive thoughts and language!
꙳ Make it Simple-Identify a few words or a mantra that summarizes your intention. Be succinct and consider starting your intention with the words “I/we want,” “I/we intend,” or “May I/we”.
Immerse yourself in your Intention-
Once crafted, let your intention be a focal point and a daily reminder. Declare it out loud to others, write it on your bathroom mirror, refrigerator, in your car and at your workspace.
Let go of expectations for specific results-
Now that a well crafted intention is planted, detach from expectations for specific outcomes and watch your intention grow. Trust that by living your intention, the results will unfold naturally as they are meant to be. Think of your intention as a trusted guide or a compass that navigates you through life’s uncertainty.
What are the things that light you up and that make your wild heart sing? Do more of whatever it is that you love and allow yourself to be more YOU in everything you do and in doing this, you’ll align with an intention so deep and profound it lies beyond what the body can feel or the mind understand yet all things will fall into place.
Want to learn more about setting your Sankalpa for 2023 or anytime?
Check out my E-book-
This E-book is a workbook to help guide you to setting yourself on the path to an authentic life! Get it here!
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