April 20, 2024
Somah
I’d like to share a bit about the art of intention setting as it can help us realign ourselves with our deeper purpose, particularly during times when we feel disoriented. Personally, I’ve been struggling to find inspiration lately in certain areas of my life. During such moments of feeling adrift, it’s beneficial to refocus on our sense of alignment and purpose.
At the heart of Yoga Nidra lies the concept of Sankalpa, a powerful tool that can greatly enhance our practice. Think of Sankalpa as the sail on a sailboat, providing us with the ability to steer and direct our attention and energy. It allows us to avoid drifting aimlessly in the vast ocean of life (especially helpful in intense times!).
By setting intentions and engaging in specific practices, we can focus our energy towards positive changes and support that which we wish to see blossom in our lives. This can be utilised with any practice but has a particular magic to it when used in the context of Yoga Nidra as we ride the deeper brainwave states.
There is a profound truth behind the statement, “Where attention goes, energy flows.” A Sankalpa, or intention, serves to align ourselves with our deeper purpose and direction of life, our dharma.
“[Dharma] – This “law of one’s being” also includes a sense of how each person might best serve the community of souls as well as the world. When in touch with the soul’s inner nature and “own law”, we can find the arts and practices, the aims and meanings that allow our souls to grow deeper, our imagination to expand, and out spirits to awaken fully. Thus, to conform to what we already are at our life’s core becomes the practice of dharma, or genuine service.”
~ Michael Meade, ‘Awakening the Soul’
We are aligning with what is already naturally there, rather than an “undoing” which is a form of resistance to what is. You can think of it like the seed of an oak tree. The seed already contains within it everything for it to, one day, become a majestic oak tree.
In the same way, you already contain within you all you need to blossom into your destiny. We can help it along (like fertilising the soil and watering it well!) by directing our attention toward what we want to see grow, nurturing it along by using conscious intention and practices which give it energy through focus and power.
To align with your greater purpose, we can hone in on our primary intention like a ‘mission statement’ that supports our ‘way of being that is born of our heart’ (a notion so significant to me that it became my tagline years ago!). In general, a primary intention or ‘heart-felt mission or desire’ doesn’t change all that much over the years.
One of the ways to help get clear on this is to imagine yourself as an old person looking back at your life and reflecting on what core values you held dear. What held meaning for you throughout your life?
Here are some hints: kindness, empathy, compassion, patience, love, etc. You could also ask yourself,
“What energy do I need to cultivate to move towards what I want to create or become?”
Following the basic principle of what you put attention to grows stronger, what you withdraw attention from grows weaker. Therefore, put attention to where you want it to go and see grow. Notice how potent this is if you apply it to all facets of our life!
Inquiry to help hone in on intentions:
How do I want to be?
Who do I want to become?
What is my tendency?
What habit/behaviour can I engage in that will help me aspire towards how I want to show up in the world?
Discover how to work more with the magic of Sankalpa in my Yoga Nidra courses.
