Happy New Year!

​I am not a fan of the New Year's Resolution. To me, it always has an underlying negative message that can leave me feeling bad about myself.
 
"I want to loose weight" says, "I am so fat!"
 "I want to be more organized" says, " I am a mess!"

Creating a change for the better at the beginning of each year is a great concept, but more often than not, our attempts to follow through with our New Year's resolutions fail.

A yogic version of the resolution is called a sankulpa. 

A sankulpa is similar to a resolution in that it focuses on creating a healthy change. It is different because we are asked look deeper into the reason behind the change we would like to create to make sure that the change supports our highest good, not just our ego.

So instead of a resolution that says,  " I want to lose weight because I am too fat!.", a sankulpa would go deeper and explore what thoughts or feelings might be driving the behavior. Maybe over eating has become a way to self soothe and avoid facing difficult emotions. Becoming aware of what motivates an unhealthy behavior is the first step in finding a way to change it.

A sankulpa is an intention that we set in the most loving way towards ourselves. It becomes powerful when we create a clear and concise phrase or mantra that we can repeat regularly. A sankulpa to lose weight might go something like this, "I over eat to stuff down my feelings. I will allow my feelings to arise and then to pass which will keep my mind, heart, and body open to love." 

Once you have decided on the change you are seeking, create your sankulpa by setting a positive intention in the present tense, using only positive words.

Stay present and attentive to the process of the result that you are seeking. If you fail to follow through with your sankulpa, forgive yourself, repeat your mantra, and recommit, remembering that change doesn't happen overnight.

If you are like me and New Year's Resolutions leave you feeling bad about yourself, consider making a New Year's Sankulpa instead.

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2020.

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