Sankalpa (Intentions)

"Intentions are sometimes called seeds. The garden you grow depends on the seeds you plant and water." Gil Fronsdal, The Insight Meditation Centre

Sankalpa means intention, will, goal, purpose, or determination. Intention and action often conflict resulting in confusion. This can cause an inner conflict if not recognised. Most of our intentions go unnoticed! Clear intentions are important in climbing and yoga to give our actions direction and purpose. If we set an intention our following actions will be more focused. “Every mind movement involves an intention. Intentions are present even in such seemingly minute and usually unnoticed decisions as where to direct our attention or which thoughts to pursue. Just as drops of water will eventually fill a bathtub, so the accumulation of these small choices shapes who we are.” Gil Frondsal.

Although we practice being mindful and in the moment, it’s still important to have a sense of destination (a goal). “Without any sense of destination, development, or deepening of realization, then we lose a source of tremendous energy and inspiration.” Joseph Goldstein. We need to discover the equipoise between effort and surrender. Think of a climber on a route. There is a very definate purpose, to reach the top of the climb. That keeps the climber moving, but the climber must pay accurate and precise attention on each move otherwise they will fall. A climber must stay aware of each move, but at the same time hold a vision of the top of the climb in their mind. The important point is that they are attentive and mindful to where they are and are not at the top of the climb. When climbing or practicing yoga your intention should be specific and definite. Focusing on an intention each time your mind is drawn away (such as sticky feet, the breath, don’t procrastinate, relaxed grip). A Mantra is a good way of achieving this. Commitment is required to see an intention through.

"When someone is searching," said Siddhartha, "then it might easily happen that the only thing his eyes still see is that what he searches for, that he is unable to find anything, to let anything enter his mind, because he always thinks of nothing but the object of his search, because he has a goal, because he is obsessed by the goal. Searching means: having a goal. But finding means: being free, being open, having no goal. You, oh venerable one, are perhaps indeed a searcher, because, striving for your goal, there are many things you don't see, which are directly in front of your eyes." Siddhartha, Herman Hesse

“Without intention, all these postures, these breathing practices, meditations, and the like can become little more than ineffectual gestures. When animated by intention, however, the simplest movement, the briefest meditation, and the contents of one breath cycle are made potent.” Donna Farhi


"Meaning is essential to human beings. We continually need to make sense of our inner and outer worlds, finding meaning in our environment and our relationships with other humans, and act according to that meaning. This includes our particular need to act with a purpose or goal in mind. Because of our ability to project mental images into the future we act with the conviction, valid or unvalid, that our actions are voluntary, intentional and purposeful. As human beings we are capable of two kind of actions. Like all living organisms we engage in involuntary, unconscious activities,such as digesting our food or circulating our blood, which are part of the process of life and therefore cognitive in the sense of the Santiago Theory. In addition, we engage in voluntary, intentional activities, and it is acting with intention and purpose that we experience human freedom." Fritjof Capra, The Hidden Connections