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What is a Sankalpa?

Sankalpa is an element we find in the Yoga Nidra practice. The Sankalpa is a resolution that we repeat three times at the beginning and at the end of the practice. It is like a seed, which you plant in your mind and you regularly keep watering. Creating your own Sankalpa is a very effective way of transformation, to promote the positive aspects of your personality, and to strengthen your mind.

How to use a Sankalpa

Yoga Nidra gradually conducts you to a state of profound relaxation. In this moment, when the mind is quiet and calm, it is also more sensitive, open and receptive. It is then, when the Sankalpa does its job, when we plant our seed.

The Sankalpa is a message sent by your conscious mind to your subconscious mind. By a regular repetition it will gradually manifest on a more conscious level, attracting your goal and bringing changes in your personality and in your life.

It is important to say your Sankalpa with determination and feeling. Apply full consciousness while repeating it. You can even visualize yourself in a daily life situation putting into practice your Sankalpa.

How to make your own Sankalpa

Each person chooses his/her own Sankalpa according to his/her needs. Take your time until you have very clear what you want to change. If you have any tendency or habit that you want to correct, or if you want to enhance any aspect of your personality.

It can be general, or you can make it very concrete. Choose a Sankalpa and expressed it as a short sentence, concise and in affirmative.

It is important not to include the word “no” or words such as “ I want” or “I need”. Why? Because in the moment you say “ I want” or “I need” you are telling yourself that you are lacking this quality, and that is not true.

We want to enhance something that is already present in us. The potential already exists inside of you, but because of circumstances, which may be known or unknown to us, it needs some help to manifest fully.

Examples for a Sankalpa

I am going to mention some examples for Sankalpsa to give you some inspiration:

General Sankalpas:

• Security and confidence in myself
• Physical, mental and spiritual harmony
• I live in abundance
• I am in peace
• I am love
• etc.

Concrete Sankalpas:

• I am giving up smoking
• I am recovering from …
• I am fully confident in my exams
• I am calm and confident when confronting challenges
• etc.

Suggestions

Take your time to create your Sankalpa and don’t rush. Sometimes we want to change so many things in our personality; however, they are all coming from the same root. For example, if a person has low self-esteem, this can manifests in many ways, like being very demanding with oneself and with others, being very critical, fear, shyness, rigidity, etc. Therefore, there is no need to create a Sankalpa for each of them, Go straight to the root, and make a Sankalpa, which includes all.

You may ask, “and … can I change my Sankalpa?” Well, ideally it is better to keep your Sankalpa until it manifests. But, the process of making a Sankalpa, which you feel identified with, may take some time. Not always we go straightforward to the root the first time we think of creating a Sankalpa. So, you can also refine it gradually.

There are people who have a very general Sankalpa, and they can keep it for all their life. Others make a Sankalpa according to what they are living at a particular time of their lives.

Another important detail is to keep the Sankalpa to yourself; it is just for you. It is something personal.

Regular practice is essential, mental patterns are very rooted in the subconscious mind and they surface in a mechanical way.