Sankalpa
SANKALPA, THE INTENTION
The concept of Sankalpa was already present in the early philosophical texts of the yoga tradition, the Vedas, and the Upanishads. The value of repetition on the mind, to calm and direct it, is recognized in all times and in every philosophy and religion. In the Vedas, in particular, it is emphasized that we create our world through the mind: formulating a Sankalpa and repeating it with conviction enables us to shape it positively.
Thanks to the teacher Satyananda, Sankalpa has regained importance in contemporary yoga practice, especially in the guided relaxation practice devised by the Master, Yoga Nidra.
"Its effect is to awaken the force of inner will by uniting conscious awareness with the unconscious forces lying dormant. It takes the form of a short, clear statement, using the same formulation each time, to bring about positive change in one's life."
Swami Saraswati
A sankalpa should be pronounced with the conviction that one can concretely realize the idea that forms in the mind, so that it takes root in the heart, strengthening and becoming a reality. It is a technique very similar to the repetition of the mantra used to positively reshape one's approach to life, removing negative blocks within the mind, and directing one's thoughts so they can influence future behaviors, actions, choices, and thus, in the long run, one's personality and the direction of one's future.
CHANGING YOUR LIFE
How many times have we made good resolutions? On the first day of the year, for our birthdays, every Sunday night... or when life imposes a change. How many times has it worked? Transformation is never an easy undertaking, and we often find ourselves thinking: "if only I were...", if only this happened... if I had this...". So, we postpone it until everything is perfect to change more easily.
For real change, awareness, determination, and above all, consistency are required.
It is easier to move to the other side of the world than to change those bad habits so deeply rooted in us, but so easy and comfortable. The more we try and fail, the more discouraged we become, and it seems difficult.
To our partial defense, we can say that sometimes environmental conditions are not helpful: our hectic life, living in a rather inhospitable and decidedly competitive jungle certainly does not help. But we can be better than this; we know it very well, and finding excuses not to change is only lying to ourselves, and we end up being even more unhappy for having done so. Furthermore, our environmental conditions will not change unless we change first, unless we work on our consciousness and our perception of reality: so waiting is useless.
"The conditions in which men live on earth
are the result of their state of consciousness.
Wanting to change the conditions without changing consciousness is a vain chimera."
Mère - Ernest Holmes
The desire to improve our lives often fails because it focuses on what is lacking or on what we would like to be; moreover, if we express an intention with the intellect, it will rarely lead to a result: we will easily confuse it with a goal, a concept dear to us Westerners and one that we find difficult to detach from. However, it will only be another source of stress, a performance test that will hardly lead to anything.
A sankalpa can help us: it is a vow, a promise, a rule, and therefore, it does not represent a goal, something that can be achieved with willpower, strength, a strategy, or an action plan. It is a deeper concept because it is not conditioned by external factors and has nothing to do with material objects that satisfy our ego. And it does not admit excuses or half-truths. A sankalpa is simply an idea, a conviction that arises in our heart or mind, and we decide to carry it forward every day in practice and in life with conviction. It is a repeated intention that becomes a powerful means of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual transformation.
Sankalpa is a milestone that supports our highest truth.
Fundamental, as always in important matters in life, is not to be in a hurry: magical and easy formulas work only in fairy tales. If you have confidence in your sankalpa and, above all, in yourself, this extraordinary practice will slowly lead to the desired change.
WHEN TO USE A SANKALPA
Whenever you feel the need.
During meditation (it is often used in Yoga Nidra). Satyananda claimed that if we pronounce a Sankalpa in a moment of calm and serenity, the purpose can penetrate more deeply, to the root of our soul, imprint itself, and develop more quickly in our hearts. This is why, during a Yoga Nidra class, the teacher invites practitioners to express an intention. It can be repeated before a yoga practice or used as a mantra during Pranayama.
In the morning, as soon as you wake up, to start the day well and give yourself five minutes for yourself. At this moment, the mind is receptive and has not yet started its race: it will be easier to identify your deep desire for the day, the sense, and the path to follow to achieve the life you want.
In the evening, at the end of the day, because falling asleep with a positive thought will make the unconscious work during the night toward the direction we want to take.
Following the path of your Sankalpa during the day helps to create the life you truly desire because it will be more difficult to be distracted from your true intentions. You can create a reminder on the computer, phone, or watch screen, use post-it notes, and repeat it aloud or silently during the day, especially when you feel that you are about to be overwhelmed by something, someone, or yourself. It is useful to take a few minutes of silence during the day to repeat your sankalpa to keep attention alive; in fact, when the mind has a direction to follow, it will be more difficult to wander or react outside our intentions. At the end of the day, you will have a sense of satisfaction, joy, and peace because the amount of things you will accomplish without procrastinating may be greater. Also because you probably will have lived the entire day with more presence and fullness.
SANKALPA DURING YOGA PRACTICE
During yoga practice, the intention is generally expressed in relation to something related to the practice itself. For example: the will to keep the mind fluid or to focus on listening to our body (without looking at the neighbor to compare ourselves to him!), or the will to practice respecting the limits of our body, without judgment.
Some examples of Sankalpa for practice:
I accept my body and its limits
I move with love
I pay attention to my connection with the earth
I accept my fears
I connect to my body
We will mentally declare our sankalpa at the beginning of the practice and then repeat it during the practice as many times as we deem necessary and again at the end of the lesson during Shavasana. What we learn on the mat will somehow affect our everyday life.
HOW TO CHOOSE A SANKALPA
A Sankalpa must be positive. It is better to say, "I am brave" instead of "I am not afraid". This is very important because at the unconscious level, the mind has difficulty accepting denials, and instead of the concept of "courage", it would tend to assimilate that of "fear", with a dramatic and evident opposite effect. It must also be affirmative and definitive, avoiding hypothetical phrases, that is, "if," and "but," which we like so much to justify ourselves. Finally, it must be expressed with a verb in the present: our intention must coincide with the now, as if it were already accomplished, and therefore as if it were an already acquired characteristic.
It must be a clear, simple, and achievable statement, as positive and open as possible. For example, if the desire is this: "I would like to stop having anger attacks," it should be formulated like this: "I am aware and calm." It is also necessary to try to express a sankalpa in harmony with what one feels, in order to create the right vibrations in the universe so that the intention becomes real. If you don't know what to choose, you can sit quietly and in a meditative state try to understand in which direction you want your life to go, observing yourself and listening deeply with sincerity, love, and compassion: the phrase will come naturally.
CAUTION! The tradition of yoga provides that the sankalpa be kept absolutely secret.
Some examples of sankalpa and examples of stones that support them are
I'm happy - red agate
I love life - carnelian
I am capable - tiger eye I am brave - heliotrope
I am free - sodalite
I am calm - petrified wood
I have energy - citrine quartz
I listen fully - amazonite
I accept diversity (I do not judge) - pink/violet fluorite
I am kind - rose quartz
I live in peace with everything around me - white agate
THE SANKALPA JAR
You can write multiple sankalpas and use them when needed by placing them in a jar: every morning you can open one to live that sankalpa during the day. If you feel that it works and is important to you, you will put it back in the jar so that it can help you again. Otherwise, you can eliminate it and possibly add new ones.
"You are your deepest desire (Sankalpa)
Your desire is your intention
Your intention is your will
Your will is your action
Your action is your destiny."
Upanishad