My daughter in the Pacific Ocean
She looks out over the ocean and makes a wish…
Can you remember the last time you made a wish or the last time you dropped a penny in a fountain, shut your eyes and wished with all your might? I think in many ways, sankalpa – intention in Sanskirt, are those adult wishes or intentions we set for ourselves.
It is often encouraged, at the beginning of your yoga practice, to set a sankalpa. Not only does setting an intention help to bring clarity and connection to mind and body, but it also increases mental focus adding much more than the physical element to your asana practice. I once read someone referring to intention setting before yoga, as “sprinkling a little blessing over your practice”.
So what kind of intention do you set? It really can be anything from a word to a mantra or short phrase. Perhaps your intent is “To find peace through my practice and to carry that out into my day”, “To grow within my practice and as a person”, or “To be fully present in this time I’ve set aside for me.” I tell my students that if a clear intent doesn’t arise, perhaps send the energy of your practice to someone else. Align yourself with that positive energy you’ve now put out there and the applied action of your physical yoga practice opens up to limitless possibilities. Then, if you so choose, take your intention off your mat and into your day, so as to truly Live Yoga.
Intention setting isn’t for just your yoga practice. You can set an intention at the very beginning or throughout your day. For instance, ”My intent is to help someone today” or “My intent is to hear, with an open mind and heart what my loved ones are saying”. I like to set an intention a couple times in my day. Taking that moment to be positive, I sprinkle my day with little blessings.
The image included in this blog is my then 9-year old daughter in tree pose overlooking the magnificence of the ocean. I’m not sure what she was thinking, what wish she sent out into the universe. That is only hers to know. I hope it comes true.
Blessings,
Claudine
