*EDITED December 2024*
Businesses have quarterly goals. Nature has four seasons. Yoga offers alignment or rather realignment with the practice of sankalpa. “Kalpa” means “vow” and “San” mean a “connection with the highest truth.” A sankalpa is a heart-felt vow you make that aligns with your core self. You can create a sankalpa to guide your thoughts, words, and action at the start of the new year, quarterly, or each time you step on to your yoga mat.
How is it different from typical New Year resolutions or goals? One difference is it’s not formed strictly by the analyzing mind. It’s both the journey and the aim.
Unlike typical New Year resolutions, sankalpa is process-oriented vs. goal-oriented. A sankalpa is ideally brief, making it easier for you to repeat to yourself daily. Additionally, make it a statement as if it’s already happening.
Example of a typical resolution or goal: I will lose 20 lbs.
Example of a sankalpa: I am enough. I feel healthy and powerful in my own skin. I choose to nourish my body with daily movement, water, and whole foods.
Let’s say you choose the first option and lose the 20 lbs. Then what? The latter elevates and aligns our emotional, mental, and physical state at the same time and makes the process the aim.
To begin the process of setting an intention, a sankalpa, we must first meet ourselves in a way that is kind, curious, and free of judgement. Then reflect. What experiences over the past several months gave you energy? What experiences drained your energy? What do you value? What do you need to start doing and stop doing to feel more aligned and alive?
Living alive + aligned, happy + free, is a marathon, not a sprint. Your sankalpa is an energizing force, a tool to lean on to steer yourself at least one degree closer to living in alignment with what matters most to you, defined by you. When initially crafting your sankalpa, allow there to be a few first drafts. Like stepping into the shower and not getting the right temperature right off the bat. It takes a little turning it this way, then back this way to get the right temperature and flow of water. Once you have an “I am” statement that stirs you at your core, write it out and put it somewhere you can see every day.
Words need to be met with action and preparation. Pause now and witness your breath moving. What are you able to access when you take time to simply pause and notice? We all entertain a lot of excuses, attachments, and perspectives that can cause suffering. Taking just a few minutes or even moments throughout your day to pause and witness your inner experience can widen the space between trigger and reaction, stimulus and response. Create space in your mind + body for your sankalpa to grow by joining us for a yoga class today!