The Power of Intention
This is a 15 minute meditation to nurture and energize an intention or affirmation. It works best if you have a clear and positive intention in mind. Listen now … or read the blog post and take some time to write about your sankalpa.
Sankalpa is an essential part of yoga nidra practice. One translation to English is “born from the heart” or “heart’s vow”. Sankalpa is a statement of intention that guides us toward our purpose in this lifetime.
Working with a sankalpa transcends language. It’s not just a statement of intention. It’s also a somatic experience. Meditating on your sankalpa evokes a felt sense of emotion in your body, making it a powerful tool for transformation.
Bringing intention or affirmations into your meditation practice is a great way to support personal healing. It connects you to the positive aspects of your identity and builds self-esteem. It balances out negative self-talk and internalized judgments from others, allowing you to rewrite the script inside your head. And when used in yoga nidra guidance, you begin to reprogram subconscious beliefs, healing deep identity wounds and freeing us from limiting beliefs. (Most of our subconscious beliefs are formed by the age of 7!)
Tips to create an affirmation or intention for meditation:
Meditate, draw, or journal about this topic. Consider questions like: What would you like to cultivate more in your daily life? What values are important to you? What words or phrases inspire you? What message feels supportive to you now?
Use I as the subject and a positive sentence structure. I am …. I receive … I welcome … I flow … I trust …
If your first instinct is to use the word “not”, consider how you could rephrase. For example, “I am not scared of change.” could become “I embrace change.” or “I adapt to life’s changes with ease.”
Revisit and revise the way you express your intention. As you meditate, you might be inspired to change the words you use. As the circumstances of your life shift, you may find that your intention is no longer relevant or doesn’t have the same importance it did at first. That’s a sign to revisit this process and refresh your intention - or create something new and meaningful for your current chapter!
Make a piece of art to inspire you! Write your intention or affirmation and decorate with doodles, stickers, and whatever you like. Place it at your desk, near your meditation space, or on your fridge. Sitting with your intention and connecting to your breath for a few minutes is enough! (Benefits are cumulative, so 5 minutes every day is better than 50 minutes once a week.)
Affirmation Art Project. Hand lettering by Kathryn Mikkelsen. I am a radiant being of light and healing.
