The Beginning Of The End

When I was 17 years old, I went to live in my  first Ashram.  Half the people living there were Swami’s from India, and the other half were people like me… seeking answers in uncommon places.  The Ashram was nestled far into the mountains, between two mountain valleys, with a river running through. Which is actually pretty crazy now that i think about it, because that is exactly the scenery i am living in right now. 

Honestly this place was one of the most eye opening experiences I have ever had.

We spent most of our days cleaning rooms, scrubbing walls, floors, bathrooms.  We also spent some time on their organic farm, as the community was working towards becoming self-sufficient.  

What many people don't realize is there are many different branches of yoga, or “limbs” as some people might call them.  Specifically, there are 8 of them. One of the eight limbs is the branch we are most familiar with - the asana (Which is the different postures and movements that we commonly practice here in the west).  But what about the other 7?  A Lot of my time spent here at the ashram was learning about the other aspects of yoga.  The philosophical side was extremely interesting to me. 

When i was 17, my heart was open, I was careless, I was free.  I had not yet fallen into a deep dark hole (But trust me i was on my way there. haha)

We woke up at 4:30 am everyday for our morning meditation.  The meditation was an hour long and this was definitely the hardest part of my day.  Previously I hadn't spent very much time in meditation, and I found my mind would jump from place to place very easily.  It took a while but eventually I found peace in just simply sitting.  I looked forward to the meditation because it was a time of grounding into my own truth.  There's this silence that happens once all the mind chatter settles down, and in this silence I truly felt free.  

It was here I felt those first feelings of freedom.  Freedom from the attachments of this world.  Freedom from suffering.  And the more i practiced, the more i felt that i was doing exactly what i needed to be doing, i just had this intuitive feeling that this was my path.  I began to feel like It was not a coincidence that i was there, that i was meant to be there.

I remember laying on the floor after a very deep breathing exercise, feeling truly at peace with myself.  The Swami who was guiding us, asked us to think of a Sankalpa. Sankalpa means an intention formed by the heart and mind -- a solemn vow, determination, or will. In practical terms a Sankalpa means a one-pointed resolve to focus both psychologically and philosophically on a specific goal. A Sankalpa is a tool meant to refine the will, and to focus and harmonize mind and body.

I didn't think about it for very long but i remember distinctly the first words that popped into my mind was “I am filled with love and creativity”

For some reason these 7 simple words spoke so truthfully to my entire being.  This intention to be filled with abundant love and creativity felt completely...right.  

She then asked us to envision a place where we feel completely free.  I can still remember so vividly exactly what I thought about in this moment.  I remember watching myself in a giant meadow dancing freely with the sun and the wind.   I had never been to this meadow or place, but I could see it so clearly.  

Little did I know that those words would be my intention that would stay with me for the next 5 years of my life.  Little did I know that the meadow that I envisioned was the exact place I am living at now.  

It wasn't until recently that I truly started to understand the power of our minds.  Looking back on that intention that I set, although it was a long road, I truly feel as though it has manifested into my entire being.  I feel this intention on such a deep level, it kinda freaks me out sometimes. 

We can quite literally do ANYTHING.  And to me, that's pretty dang cool.

So I challenge all of you to sit somewhere quiet for 10-20 minutes and then at the end of your sitting meditation, think of your own personal Sankalpa.  A statement that speaks to your own truth.  An intention for your life. Asking yourself, what kinds of things would you like to bring into your life?  Something that you feel comes from your own inner truth.