The Newsy Neighbour
January Issue #111
Article provided by: Becky Stone with Pranava Yoga
San= an idea that is formed in the heart. Kalpa= “This is the rule I
will follow above all other rules”.
Phew! Another year over. Well... not really, as I am writing this in
December... but I can seeeee the light. By the time you are reading this, 2017
will have commenced. Isn't it funny that we, meaning in general human nature,
enjoy seeing the year to a close? Whether you mark a new beginning on January 1
or on the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar or on a solstice – a new year
feels like a new opportunity. Most everyone celebrates it in one way or
another!
The closing of a door. The opening of another. This metaphor is one
that has many meanings. One reason I believe that we enjoy a new beginning is
that it lets us close the door behind us.
Even the hardiest of souls resist change, so when we have two open
doors, one in front of us and one behind, it is a very hard task to choose one
to walk through. The New Year reminds us to look forward – to the future. We
get to release the past year by gently, or not so gently, saying goodbye. We
get to look forward to the next with fresh eyes, ready and hopeful. If we are
not too cynical or frightened to look up, that is.
Let me encourage you to choose to walk through the door to your future,
because the past is nowhere to live. I will work on, and hope that you do too,
on being PRESENT as much as I possibly can as I do my best to bravely step into
my life. This year I feel inspired to return to listening to the desires of my
heart. I will listen for my sankalpa – the ideas born of my heart which
I will follow as a rule above all others.
Setting goals and resolutions are a common practice. These are often
results-oriented. While I understand and use the value of these in my own life,
I also have come to understand the value in NOT having a goal. Instead of a
goal I wish to accomplish, I set an intention as to the person I wish to be at
the end of my journey. And the heart is a pretty intelligent ruler when given
the chance to help you choose that intention.
This year, perhaps in addition or replacement of resolutions, I urge
you to consider the greatest desires of your heart. This is an exercise similar
to affirmations, but asks us to reflect upon our inner landscape to find out
what our Soul is calling. Instead of WHAT you want in life, try exploring HOW
you want your life to be. What kind of person do you wish to become? What
energy do you wish to cultivate in your life, in the world? Use the present tense when you come to repeat
it. Perhaps it is as simple as “I am able to accept people/situations just as
they are”; or “I am full of vital energy and health”.
Take some time to ponder this and watch what arises. Spend quiet time
in nature, in meditation, or in reflection – if one can bring some quiet into
the Self, understanding seems to arise from within. Your sankalpa will become
clear. Hold this in your heart, write it down, remind yourself daily. Let it
ride upon every breath, thought, word and action you take. Just a quick word of
caution: Let your guidance be the part of you that resides in LOVE. If your
sankalpa is rooted in fear, anger or ego it will cause you pain (or others),
and this is how you will know that an adjustment may need to be made. It won’t
ring true. A sankalpa ALWAYS rings true – a resonance that stems from the very
center of our being.
New beginnings are a great place to release the past, look forward to
the future, and to set the intention to live the best life we possibly can. We
may not be able to choose the events in our life, but a sankalpa helps us to
choose how we wish to live our lives and the kind of person we are as we do so.
And it helps us to step forward into every day SURE in following the lead of
our hearts. May 2017 be your best year yet, full of love, health and abundance!
Namaste, Becky
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