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The meaning of Sankalpa

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presley

Forum Posts: 16

Member Since:
April 27, 2015

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January 12, 2008 - 9:21 am

Hi Presley,

If one the Swamis who visits this forum answers you may get a more wordy response, but here is the gist of the meaning.

Sankalpa is a personal vow or as you said, "a resolution," but it is more than that. In spiritual Yoga practices, such as Bhakti Yoga, Sankalpa is very specific, because the Yoga practitioner vows to perform a duty for an exact time, length of time, and possibly at a certain place.

To understand this better: Think about Novenas, which Roman Catholics practice. This is an example of Sankalpa. Yet, Sankalpa can also have a very broad meaning, such as intention, thought, desire, or imagination, which is propelled by the importance to the Yoga practitioner.

Om Shanti,