The Mysteries of Sankalpa

Sankalpa is what I call the secret sauce of Yoga Nidra. It is a very powerful statement that has the potential to be life-changing. Yoga Nidra is rarely used in yoga, but Yoga Nidra is the one place in a well-rounded yoga practice that sankalpa is frequently used.

Translations are fine in order to understand the basic definitions of words, but a lot of meaning can be lost in translation. This seems to be especially true when it comes to understanding sankalpa. I have heard it translated in so many iterations, so many ways and as so many different concepts.

If you've been attending my Yoga Nidra classes regularly, you may have noticed lately, that I've made slight changes to the wording in the sankalpa section. I have been slowly integrating some new knowledge into the Yoga Nidra sankalpa section. This article is to help you better understand what sankalpa really is thereby helping to deepen your practice.

For the many years that I have practiced and taught Yoga Nidra, I have been on a journey to find a clear definition of sankalpa to share with you. Thus, making it easier for you to understand its meaning and purpose. It has been a long journey and in this space I've written about sankalpa before. This article is a follow up on my later discoveries of the meaning of sankalpa.

Sankalpa Definitions

In the very first Yoga Nidra class I took as a student, the teacher had us focus on our heart's intention. That is all good. Love comes from the heart too. Yet, in my way of thinking, I use my brain to come up with ideas rather than my heart. So this was a difficult concept for me to grasp.

Then there was "the heart's desire." What is the heart's desire? Was it happiness? Was it love? Don't I need my brain to come up with what is in my heart and emotion? If so, I have to think long and hard. This was the first style of sankalpa that I learned in my teacher training. Still not understanding what that really meant, it took months to come up with my own organically created sankalpa.

I decided to research the topic further. Dr. Richard Miller translates sankalpa as heartfelt desire. He admittedly softened the language so that it would pass muster, pun intended, with the U.S. Armed Forces where his iREST Yoga Nidra program is used for PTSD.

I've seen sankalpa translated as resolve, resolution, or intention. But sankalpa is more than a resolve, resolution, or intention. It is not even an affirmation statement.

Then there is the literal definition of sankalpa that springs from its Sanskrit translation. Breaking down the the parts o the word makes more sense. Sankapla combines two words: san meaning "connection with one's loftiest truth and kalpa meaning "vow."

According to Indu Arora (2023), Indu Arora calls herself a lifelong student of Yoga and Ayurvedic sciences. In my eyes, she is a scholar. (She's written many books about Yogic and Ayurvedic topics). She says that "sankalpa is the Indian traditional resolve to evolve."

Her definition of sankalpa clarified it all for me. Arora states that sankalpa is a vow. It is a vow to oneself to evolve. It is not a resolution, it is not an intention, it is not an affirmation. Sankalpa is a vow or promise from your heart that contributes to both "personal and societal" improvement to help make for a better world. By practicing this continuous renovation project called you, you help to heal the world.

How Should I Construct my Sankalpa

You can do this from either your brain or your heart. We need to pick a sankalpa that we feel deeply connected to and inspired to become. Make a promise to yourself that embeds within your body, heart, or soul that helps you to contribute to bettering the world around you. The sankalpa should be in the present tense as if that thing is already happening. For example, "I live a healthy life so I can bring joy to others." Sankalpa will manifest in your life, it takes some time.

References & Other Resources

Arora, I. (2023) Myths of Sankalpa. email communication.

Miller, R. C. The iRest Program for Healing PTSD: A Proven-Effective Approach to Using Yoga Nidra Meditation and Deep Relaxation Techniques to Overcome Trauma . New Harbinger Publications. Kindle Edition.