SETTING AN INTENTION FOR THE NEW YEAR

BY KYM OLIVER

Intention setting, be it for an entire year, a month, day and even the next moment is an ancient yogic practice called Sankalpa. It comes from the understanding that what you keep thinking about will eventually manifest in your reality. For example, we observe that people who tend to be negative, experience more hardship in their life than those who are mostly positive. Even in times of struggle, the positive ones cope better than the negative thinking people.

We can experience this within ourselves, if we wake up grumpy and don’t shift the mood, our day will turn out difficult, and vice-versa. This does not imply that circumstances not to our liking will never occur, they will, but our outlook towards them will determine how we traverse the journey. Setting a Sankalpa is taking this knowledge and consciously doing something with it. Rather than hap-hazardly living life.

So, in your quiet time, have a note book and after sitting in silence for a while, write down what comes to you as your deepest desire. A Sankalpa does not involve material goals, but spiritual intentions for yourself. Areas in your personality that you would like to improve. Repeat this exercise for a few days and hopefully you will see that your deepest Sankalpa keeps showing itself. This is the one to then focus on. Your Sankalpa practice can be to write it down, repetitively, filling an entire page every day. Also, remembering it mentally when you open your eyes from sleep, during quiet times, and before you sleep at night.

The more you think about your Sankalpa, the more nutrients you give it and in a short period of time you will experience an internal change occurring within you. But like anything, practice makes perfect. You need consistency to see the fruits. A nice way to start the wording of your Sankalpa is to say something like, “Thank you that I am becoming more patient.” Saying “thank you” at the beginning brings in an energy of gratitude which is open and therefore you are ready to receive your Sankalpa already. Enjoy a new year by taking control of yourself for truly it is the only thing we can seek to change.

Namaste.