Harness the POWER of Intention and Determination: How to Create Your SANKALPA

Listen to Episode 14 of The WISDOM podcast!

TIMESTAMPS:

A sankalpa should respect and uphold the deeper meaning of your life and is a declaration you can call upon to reinforce your true beliefs and guide the choices you make through life. Source: Intuitive Flow

TRUTH SERUM: What makes a sankalpa different from the kinds of intentions, goals, or new year’s resolutions that you may have set previously – is a single factor – the power of a sankalpa (this profound intention or ‘vow’) is transmuted through the deepest yearnings of your heart. It is also suggested that it is your soul in direct communication with you that inspires you towards greater action and to live awake and on purpose. This makes the determination that you hold for your sankalpa of the upmost importance, mobilizing you towards an outcome aligned with your highest level goals, beliefs, and values; and for all of who you desire to become.

A-HA MOMENTS: “With your sankalpa, you live in alignment with what your inner wisdom, your heart’s desire is compelling you to act upon.” – dorothy ratusny

PRACTICAL WISDOM: Think of your sankalpa as a call to action. It is designed to be results-driven, aimed towards fulfilling a particular life goal.

A Sankalpa is a solemn vow, conviction, determination, or will. It is a way to set a powerful intention that connects with your heart’s deepest desire to support your highest truth (your dharma or life’s purpose). Sankalpa (Sanskrit: सङ्कल्प) is the compound of two Sanskrit words: kalpa means “vow, or the rule to be observed above or before any other rule” and san “a concept or idea formed in the heart” (and therefore a connection with your highest truth).

“It is what you define and live that allows you to enjoy a life of meaning and purpose; aligned with the reason for why you are here right now - in this space and time.” - dorothy ratusny

What is Sankalpa?

A sankalpa is a declaration of your commitment to uphold and follow a path that allows you to live your truth (your dharma). The concept of sankalpa appears in the most ancient of all the Vedic texts; the Rig Veda. The art and science of applying sankalpa was considered to be the foundation for achieving or becoming anything of real significance. What makes it unique is the practice of listening within to your inner wisdom – most specifically to your heart centre and to your soul consciousness.

“On this path you must first awaken your sankalpa shakti – the power of will and determination” – Swami Rama.

Your sankalpa; stated as a desire, an intention, an affirmative action that originates from your soul; liberates you as you choose what is already a deep yearning and an awakening to fulfill your greatness. Your greatness is not something of ego, but the ability to live your highest potential; to awaken to the fact that you are far more than your physical mind and body. To harness your ultimate potential and power includes being aware of your higher purpose here in this lifetime. If you would like to take in more on the topic of living your greatness, you must listen to Episode 1 of The WISDOM podcast for how to live as your most beautiful and authentic self.

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A sankalpa is born from an innermost reverend and spiritual yearning that is beyond any physical, mental, or emotional need. This distinct inner knowing is what rises up from within perhaps as what appears to be a quiet murmur at first, and then a clear and discernible truth that guides and directs you as a beacon of light towards your highest potential, as you walk through life.

I invite you to join me here as we explore how your life will support your highest level ideals when you use a sankalpa as a daily practice; how your sankalpa serves your spiritual journey guiding you to discover and actualize your greater purpose in this life; and how to formulate your sankalpa that aligns you with what is most important to you.

“A sankalpa is a statement of purpose, a vow, a desired intention that is aligned with your soul’s desire and that which allows you to carry out a greater purpose for your life – in this present reality.” – dorothy ratusny

A sankalpa reflects your daily desired actions and decisions, and the best choices that you could make towards how you choose to live and who you are. It is your deepest intention and determination – your resolve towards something of authentic importance that aligns you with a deeper meaning for your life.

What makes a sankalpa powerful is its ability to transform your life because of what you have chosen to follow and be (this is your ‘intention’), and then as you live this in practical ways. A sankalpa in a scientific context is a form of neuroplasticity; the ability of the brain to change continuously throughout one’s life.

How Does This Work? As you integrate your wishes and heart-driven desires, into the neurological processes of the brain, this translates into how you function and feel in your body, and ultimately your actions and the outward appearances of who you continue to become.

Whereas neuroplasticity is neurological and focuses on the brain as an organ, a sankalpa practice originates in desire and is emotion-driven; your deepest yearnings rise up to propel your actions towards what is most wanted. You must engage your heart’s wisdom to experience this deepest resolve, originating within you.

“Think of your sankalpa as a guiding drive or desire of the soul that encodes within the subconscious, a path and template towards how to best live your greatness.” – dorothy ratusny

Because there is a bidirectional communication between the brain and the body, this provides a mechanism for our mind to influence our body as well as for our body to influence our thoughts and feelings, and what become our beliefs.

“Your sankalpa – your intention must be reflective of what is desired most deeply of your heart; and engaged with both mind and body.” – dorothy ratusny

If you set an intention or resolution in the traditional way, by deciding in your mind what is wanted; if it is a desire based upon satisfying some external requirement or a belief that you need to accomplish or achieve something in order to be happy, successful, or to feel at peace, then you have similarly decided that you are not enough as you are. This is both a flawed position – and an ‘untruth’. It also creates dissonance and discrepancy between what is wanted and the thought or belief that you are not this already (or you do not have this).

When you create a sankalpa statement that is summoned by your deepest desires, and as your mind and heart are aligned towards this desire, and as you rehearse your sankalpa daily to reaffirm what will support this intention, using your will and desire to carry this out; you will be inspired to live a life of your choice that reaffirms what you already are and simultaneously who you are becoming.

When you have a inner desire, expressed as a heart-driven calling; whether you call this a life’s purpose or a life quest – your sankalpa and the achieving of this aligns you with the greater purpose for your life; it is sparked by a deeply conscious inner desire.

A sankalpa engages your heart’s deepest desire for you to align your thoughts and actions with your true essence; and to know that you already are whole and complete. Your sankalpa is a declaration of you aligning with your highest self to be all that you are capable of becoming.

Choosing Your Sankalpa

Setting a sankalpa becomes an opportunity for clarity, self-reflection and discovery, a time to formally align yourself with your highest level goals and a particular direction that you wish to follow in life. It can assist you in formalizing your purpose, reinforce affirmative action and build self-worth.

Discovering your sankalpa is a process of listening. Your heartfelt desire is already present, waiting to be acknowledged, heard, felt. It is not something that you need to invent and the mind doesn’t have to go in search for it.

I’m also including in the episode transcripts a link for you to have a meditation to use as guiding wisdom for discovering your sankalpa and for its place in your life.

How Do You Open Your Heart? Find the Answer in this Guided Meditation:

https://dorothyzennuriyejuno.com/a-meditation-for-living-with-your-heart-open/

Two Types of Sankalpa

There are two forms of sankalpa. The first is known as “the heartfelt desire” and is expressed as a statement that reflects your true nature. Requiring no change or action, the heartfelt desire is purely a statement of who you are. For instance, it may be expressed as “I am whole” or “I am happiness”, “I do my best to be love in all moments with all others” and “I am LOVE”. This type of sankalpa, according to yogic philosophy, comes not from the conscious mind, but instead resides deep within us and is key to enlightenment; to the realization of what we ultimately are.

The second form is focused on a specific intention or goal. This could take the form of setting smaller goals as focused intentions which when realized, help you to live your soul’s mission. Setting specific goals can help to connect your conscious choices with your heart’s desire and your soul’s yearning. To do this, ask yourself what things need to happen for you to progress on your path’ and, ‘What are the ways in which you desire to be and live in the world?’ With your answers, and in direct communication with your heart and your soul consciousness, you may form a personal sankalpa that describes what you need to do. When said aloud, the sankalpa informs the conscious mind of the direction you need to take to make progress on your higher level goals or life purpose. Source: What is Sankalpa?

Before you decide on your sankalpa, take some time, even a few days if you want to feel sure and confident; in self-reflection and meditation and in thinking carefully about your life; andwhat would be your highest goals and desires? What do you want to achieve and to become based on the deepest yearnings of your heart?

Here are some suggestions of sankalpas given by swami Satyananada Saraswati in his book “Yoga Nidra” together with other examples, illustrating both forms of sankalpa:

• I awaken my spiritual potential.
• I am a positive force for the evolution of others.
• I am successful in all that I undertake; I continue to grow and learn from all experiences.
• I embrace change and transformation.
• I am aware and awake in my life.
• I achieve total health.
• Compassion is my true nature.
• With compassion to my body and for all living beings, I choose to eat a plant based diet.

It is suggested that only one sankalpa is to be in play at any one time, so that you may devote your focus to it completely. Whether it is to be a short-term or a long-term sankalpa, you must go beyond your intellect; and allow it to originate from a moment of inspiration – perhaps during inner reflection, meditation, or as you have been able to listen to your deepest desires emanating from within. Allow yourself to become still and silent in body and mind. Ask your innermost self to reveal it to you so that it comes into your awareness in a clear, unwavering, precise manner. Tell yourself, “I will find my sankalpa.”

*I’m also ‘gifting’ you with a Yoga Nidra Meditation which is a most helpful to access your consciousness and to envelope your sankalpa practice. Once you have formulated your sankalpa, you may wish to use this Meditation from time to time to reaffirm and strengthen your resolve.

Your sankalpa is a formal statement that beckons your heart as you align with and follow your dharma, your truth (your life’s purpose) in actualizing your self.

Repeating Your Sankalpa

When your sankalpa has become a positive and concise statement, it is ready to be utilized as a constructive goal, to give a positive direction to your existence.

The idea of repeating a sankalpa is to create the life we are meant to embrace and enjoy. The purpose is to transform one‘s life physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. When made with a mind that is calm and relaxed, the sankalpa is impressed on the subconscious. We acknowledge and affirm the desire of our sankalpa at the deep level of our soul, and as we take action using will and determination towards this, knowing that together with right timing and our efforts, we will be experiencing this in our life. Source: Intuitive Flow

When you repeat your sankalpa, it should be as if all your mental and emotional energy, all your faith, all your sincerity and devotion have been concentrated into the form of a simple, positive statement. When you repeat it mentally to yourself, do so with full conviction that it will come true in your daily life.

Any moment during the day or night can be an opportunity to reinforce, to intensify your sankalpa. Think of it, and mentally repeat it at any time. However, especially seek out the times when your mind feels most receptive to it, and then, consciously allow the message to go deep into the subtle realms of your being. For example: repeat it as your first thought upon waking; as your last thought, immediately before sleep overtakes you; as a mantra during meditation; at the beginning and end of yoga nidra, and before and after meals. You may also post a reminder of it on your computer or phone screen.

Most important is to feel the consciousness of your words expressed deeply throughout your being and connecting with your highest self as your witness – as you imagine your sankalpa already complete and in your present moment reality. (Sometimes you may feel that a huge gap exists between yourself and the realization of your sankalpa. At those times, repeat it mentally and visualize it, as if it has come true right in front of you, in living reality.)

The force of your mental energy is capable of tremendous intensity, and know that if you are able to harness that force, anything that you set your mind to will come true.

Your sankalpa is a call to awakening that enables you to direct your consciousness, and channel your free will towards living your highest potential.

In essence, the ancient concept of sankalpa is based on the principle that your mind has measureless capacity to affect the quality and the content of your life. In the ancient traditions, including the Veda, tantra and yoga, the belief was to fill the mind with “auspicious thoughts” as the mind is believed to be the ruler of your fate. According to the Buddha, “the mind is everything. What you think you become.”

Nourish Your Resolve

Every conscious choice that you make is a choice towards strengthening your sankalpa. Here is an important and helpful practice: Whenever you find yourself looking to be impulsive; to continue in unhealthy habits or patterns that do not serve your highest self; your dharma (and truth); bring your sankalpa to mind. In this way, you are reminded of your resolve and the right choices that align you with what is most wanted. In the space between the impulse to act and reciting your sankalpa, it is important to pause and invite the mind to settle into a state of oneness – of presence in this moment and in the reminder of what you truly are. Enjoy a few mindful breaths here; find the pause between the breaths to remember your true nature – already complete, already capable of what which you wish to be. In this state of wholeness and oneness with divine spiritual energy rather than confusion, emptiness, impulse, or lack of hope—remember and live your sankalpa. Source: Rod Stryker

More Recommended Resources:

https://dorothyzennuriyejuno.com/podcast/the-wisdom-podcast-season-1-episode-12-how-to-set-powerful-daily-intentions-that-manifest-the-3-life-hacks-you-need-to-know/

How to LIVE Your Greatness | The WISDOM podcast | Season 1 Episode 1

ask dorothy: How Do I Manifest? The 3 Secrets of Conscious Manifesting

Sharing the wisdom and beauty of divine love with you…

Namaste!

Podcast Theme Music: ‘Aura’ from the Album, Illuvia by Eternell www.eternell.net/album/illuvia

Accompanying Music:

A generous ‘thank you’ to Audio Engineer, Pavel Kirpikau for your incredible help!