Well, yogis and yoginis don’t make resolutions at the start of the New Year. Instead, we set intentions. Using three yogic principles (from the niyamas), we work to change our ingrained habits to get ourselves out of our muddy ruts.
Samskara the yoga term for those ruts. Specifically Samskara is defined as an ingrained pattern or “grooves” of thought OR behavior. A thought pattern can be just as destructive as actions.
These ruts are changed by creating new ones.
How can yoga help in this quest?
That’s where the three niyamas come in. Yoga philosophy is set forth in some ancient texts. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali set forth 8 limbs of yoga or aspects of yoga. The yoga poses (asanas) is just one, the third. The first and second aspects or limbs are the yamas and niyamas. Together they form the "ten commandments" of yoga, but commandment is too strong a word. Simply, they are yogic principles for living.
Three of the niyamas are particularly useful as they help us set intentions. They are:
- tapas – translated as discipline or (as I prefer) burning enthusiasm.
- svadhyaya – translated as self-study. This niyamas requires us to be engaged learners and endlessly search for knowledge. We are to study our strengths and weaknesses and redirect unhelpful behavior.
- ishvara pranidhana which is often translated as devotion to God. But with that implies a humility and asks us to give up the illusion of being in control and accepting reality.
(For an overview of all the limbs of yoga and the yamas and niyamas, click here.)
So how do does all that relate to making lasting change in your life this year?
Foremost, change your approach. Don't make resolutions. Set intentions. Sankalpa is the yogic tool of intention. Setting your mind on an intention can increase the chance it will occur.
And here's the twist - there is an essential distinction between what you intend to do and what you want to happen as a result.
Statements like these focuse on desired outcomes:
- ‘I intend to lose 25 pounds’ or
- ‘I’m going to beat this cancer/fibromyalgia/rheumatoid arthritis,’ or
- “I’m going to get married/have a child/get a divorce” or
- ‘I want to do Lotus pose by the end of the year,’
But these are not intentions (even though they use words like "want" or "intend" ). They are desires for the future.
And as soon as these ideas become resolutions, they become attachments. They are what you hope will happen in the future. The catch is Yoga recognizes is that you can’t control results. Yoga says you can’t control outcomes.
Therefore, yoga suggests we avoid attachments to desires for the future. We can’t control falling in love. We can’t always control the course of a disease. There is much in our lives we can't control.
We can only control what we do. And what we do may affect the future, may increase odds of recovery, may put us in the right place at the right time, may open our hips, may improve the quality of our life. May. Not guaranteed.
You’ve got to act – for that possibility to be fulfilled. And hope for the best for the outcome.
So what does an intention sound like? Intentions would sound like this:
- I will rebuild my body. (Not I will lose 25 pounds)
- I intend to reduce mental distractions. (Not I want a peaceful life)
- I want to open my heart to love. (Not I want to find a lover)
- I intend to practice yoga.. (Not I want to do a certain pose).
Part two will appear in the next nilambu notes and will more concretely outline what to do and how to implement and integrate this yogic approach into your life.
In the meantime, start delineating your intentions with care. Examine whether you're attached to a particular or specific result. If so, try to recalibrate your thinking toward steps or actions that you can control instead.
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