Years ago at the beginning of each new year I was eager to create lists of what I wanted to accomplish, be or buy. Trying to make things happen proved sometimes to be fruitful, but also fell flat after the desire was fulfilled (or abandoned). Maybe there are easier and more meaningful ways to navigate desires…? Let’s explore.
On New Years Eve I was contemplating what I was looking to bring into my life. Investigating my motivations for why I had certain desires was revealing. Sometimes the desire was driven by ego—the small, separate sense of self—which is often based on fear or lack. Other times it was driven by wanting to be of benefit to humanity.
In the practice of iRest yoga nidra we investigate heartfelt desires. Often these desires feel like unexplainable prods from something larger than ourselves. I like to call them “divine marching orders,” or sankalpas. A sankalpa is a desire and a vow that is in alignment with one’s highest truth. It’s primarily born from bigger-than-ego goals and intertwined with the wellbeing of others. Ultimately, it encompasses one’s life purpose.
Life purpose? Yikes, that’s big! So many of us (myself included) have at times been overwhelmed by the idea of life purpose. I found that waiting for a HUGE purpose to reveal itself was lot of unnecessary pressure. At some point I let go of needing to know. Listening to my heart and intuition—and feeling into my sankalpa—became a living inquiry.
Now my life purpose continues to unfold before my eyes. It is an experience of supreme joy, more compassionate desires, and those unexplainable prods and pushes from the Universe. And just to quell the insistent small self, I continue to ask the question, “How can I be of most benefit?”
Interested in investigating your sankalpa? Let’s explore together! Contact me to set up your personal 30 minute iRest Yoga Nidra meditation session.
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