Joy Jot #4 Sankalpa
30 January 2024
Dear Friend,
Happy January!
How are your 2024 New Year’s goals going?
Whether you’re where you’d like to be or not, it’s okay. As Anne of Green Gables says, Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it.
I actually haven’t finished sketching my goals out yet. I just put my last christmas wreath away and vacuumed the house. I remember when I had a LOT of little people I was caring for and I just didn’t set any goals. I think I would have benefited from learning about sankalpa.
I learned the word sankalpa a few weeks in my friend Traci’s yoga class. Sankalps is a Sanskrit word meaning intention. In yoga we often talk about setting an intention for a class like gratitude, humility, presence, or strength. This intention, or “sankalpa” when broken down means:
SAN — to become one with or connection
KALPA — subconscious mind or heart’s desire or highest truth
Thus, sankalpa means connecting with your heart’s desire or becoming one with your subconscious mind.
Let’s say we set an intention, not just for one yoga class, but for the entire year of 2024.
What sankalpa would you chose?
If you think about the typical goals you usually set, like exercise, read more, or spend more time with your spouse or children. What are these goals getting at? What is underneath?
Are you wanting your body to feel better — have more zest?
Are you wanting to seek knowledge?
Are you wanting to feel closer to your family?
What is underneath?
Could you choose a word or phrase that describes what you want this year?
Then consider, what does someone who embodies that word or phrase do?
For example, what does “someone who seeks knowledge” do? Do they take community classes, listen to books, sign up for online programs, read at the end of the day? Consider what “someone who seeks knowledge” does. Then try it yourself!
Your actions will be determined by asking yourself the question of your intention. Have fun with it! It doesn’t have to look the same every day, week or month. Having the idea in mind, will shape your choices and by the end of the year, you will find yourself having more of your heart’s desire.
May you have a fantastic 2024 and may all of your dreams come true!
Amy
