Sankalpa: Harness the Power of Intention for the New Year
Living your life with intention means turning off the autopilot and taking control.
The mark of the New Year suggests fresh starts, trying again, and setting resolutions for change. However, in yoga, we prefer to use the word intention or Sankalpa.
Sankalpa means will, purpose, or determination. Sankalpa is the determination or the will in the mind which precedes all actions, otherwise known as intention. In effect, Sankalpa asks us to meet every moment with FREE-WILL.
An intention or intentional way of living is not about meeting a goal but a way in which we want to approach something or a way of being in the world.
When you live your life with intention, it means you are ensuring that your life is based on your own conscious choice of how you want your life to be. It involves moving away from mindlessly being on autopilot to acting with awareness. The intention is the way to re-orient the mind in the desired direction.
Embrace Sankalpa and Let Go of the New Year’s Resolution
Statistics show that 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by the second week in February. It is not a surprise since most resolutions are ego-driven willpower decisions, which tends to run out rather quickly.
A Sankalpa is a much kinder alternative because it starts from a place of self-compassion - that you already are enough.
The Sankalpa informs us of the action we are willing to take into the world. A strong intention is often the clarity you need to head towards your own true north—that inner sense of what you want in life. It is a question of who you want to be and how you want to show up in this world.
Is it about losing weight (goal) or instead of making healthy choices (intention)?
Is it about meditating every day at 4 am (goal) or instead of finding space and calm in your day (intention)?
It seems obvious that if you want to drive east, don’t drive west. Yet, it takes effort. It’s essential to focus your mind, connect to your most heartfelt desires and move in the direction of your intentions.
In the process, you may find that you may need to course-correct, and you can do so without leaving your intentions behind.
Train the Mind for Intention
Neuroscience tells us that setting an intention ‘primes’ our nervous system to be on the lookout for whatever will support what we intend.
We must pay attention to our intentions. Attention is what happens in the present to support the longer-term vision of intention. When we pay attention to intention, we set up our neural system to be ready to receive, sense, focus, and behave in a certain manner.
When we train our minds in attention with meditation or yoga practice by returning to the breath, physical sensation, or sound, we are training ourselves to strengthen our intentions ultimately.
Not only that, but those practices also increase self-awareness.
Through self-awareness, you become conscious of what you value as a person. You can then align your behavior with what you value the most. Where attention goes, energy flows.
Attention is what is driving us moment to moment. The result of such training is that we’re more apt to be aligned with our intentions.
The moment on the mat before you begin your dedicated practice acts as a reminder and a way to reinforce your intention.
Practice Sankalpa on the mat
In Yoga class, it is tradition to step onto your mat and set an intention for the practice. This creates a space where the practice connects one’s mind and body, offering a greater purpose beyond the physical realm.
An intention can be as simple as a word that you dedicate your practice to, which represents a value you'd like to bring into your life. You could begin by reciting a short affirmation to bring about positive change. Over time, your actions will start to align with your intentions.
When you begin to understand what you are seeking from your practice, you can see how to direct energies and actions to get there. All of life is practice.
Sankalpa should never be limited to the mat or cushion, but rather it is how you want to live your life. The moment on the mat before you begin your dedicated practice acts as a reminder and a way to reinforce your intention. It is a way of bringing attention to your intention.
The Upanishads state: "You are your deepest desire (Sankalpa). As is your desire, so is your intention. As is your intention, so is your will. As is your will, so is your deed. As is your deed, so is your destiny."
Practice Wise Intention
In Buddhism, Wise Intention is the second step on the eight-fold path. It is what keeps our lives moving in the “right” direction. The wise intention is to have our values in alignment with our actions.
We must continually evaluate our actions. Thus, we must choose those that lead to less suffering and be sure wholesome intentions fuel those actions.
In Buddhist teachings, greed, hatred and harm are three categories of unwholesome intentions. Thus, the wholesome ones are the opposite: non-greed, non-hatred, and non-cruelty.
A good framework might be generosity, goodwill, kindness, friendliness, and compassion. These are the intentions we are encouraged to cultivate with the practices of Metta (Loving-kindness), Karuna (Compassion), Mudita (Appreciative Joy), and Upekka (Equanimity).
(Read Brahmaviharas post).
We plant the seeds of future action through the silent repetition of phrases in the quiet, contemplative mind. We know from the science of neuroplasticity that what we think, do and pay attention to changes the structure and function of our brains. Each time we evoke these intentions, they become stronger and more readily available to us.
The teachings indicate that we act in the world through thought, speech, and action. They are deeply interrelated and influence one another. By whispering Metta or Karuna phrases into an open heart, we can direct the energy of that process.
It is said the path to Nirvana is paved with good intentions! Thus, from these teachings, the intention drives us to cultivate a mind free of greed, hatred, and delusion.
Wholesome Intentions Cultivate a Positive Quality of Mind
This a reminder that intentions must be wholesome or positive. If we intend to get an Instagram worthy yoga body, we might be disappointed as we are trying to achieve an ideal. Through this process of working with an intention, we make the effort but let go of our attachments.
In Sutra 1.12, Patanjali states, abhyāsa-vairāgya-ābhyāṁ tan-nirodhaḥ, which translates to “The mental modifications are restrained by practice and non-attachment.” It is a constant balance of effort and letting go. It is the ability to be steadfast without focusing on the outcome. In the end, it is the quality of the mind that comes from the effort that we want to cultivate.
This sutra invites you to take action and try again and again without attachment to the results. Thus, an intention is more reliable than a resolution, as we are bound to get blown off course.
Harsh resolutions based on shame and blame never win. Yoga practice asks us to keep at it no matter what. Moreover, a Sankalpa has the undertones of self-compassion. How would you counsel a friend that has fallen off track?
Self-compassion brings mindfulness, a sense of common humanity, and kindness together. With an intention, there is no need to judge whether we win or fail, so there is no reason to quit. We notice, learn from our detours, and course-correct as needed.
There is space, kindness, and understanding, so we are more likely to remain on the path. An intention, like True North, is pointing in a direction, but it is not a destination. It is a way to re-orient the mind and set a compass for the heart.
The New Year is the perfect time put intentions into place.
Sankalpa: Ten Tips for Setting an Intention
The New Year and your yoga practice are perfect markers to get clear and put intentions into practice. Rather than falling into the trap of it being another self-improvement project, we can move towards more profound aspirations or intentions from a place of acceptance and kindness.
Here are some suggestions to help you set an intention for the day or the year:
Make it about you - It can’t be about how you’d like your partner to be, but what you can do for yourself. Ask;
How do you want to show up in the world?
What makes you happy?;
Try a single word or short phrase - Repeat to yourself something that embodies what or how you want to be or feel. Some examples might be Acceptance, Equanimity, Fearlessness, Generosity, At Ease;
Be sure the intention resonates with you in your body - Ask yourself:
How does it feel in the body?
Where in the body do you feel it?
Let it create a positive, energetic sensation. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t right;
Phrase your intention positively as if it is true and happening already - Say to yourself: “I’m beginning to feel more comfortable with uncertainty.” versus “I am not uncomfortable with change.”;
Keep it simple and concise - This way, you can easily recall it when you need it;
Write it down and keep it nearby - This reinforces your commitment. Perhaps a post-it note is placed in a spot that you see daily;
Create a mantra - It can be “I am calm, clear, resilient.”
Tell a friend - This makes it real and another way to reinforce your commitment;
Keep a loose grip on it - Once you plant the seeds, let it go. Just as the sutra says, don’t hold it too tightly. We let it germinate in its own time without attachment to the results;
Make sure it’s possible - It should be a stretch but not a struggle. It will set you up for success.
Are you ready to set your intention for the new year?
What do you intend to achieve in 2023? Share it with us.
For support in living in an intentional way, please reach me at sharyn@truenorthwell.com. I’ll be glad to help you.
Wishing you a great year.