Finding Your Resolve in Yoga Nidra: What Is a Sankalpa?
In Yoga Nidra, you may be invited to work with a sankalpa, often translated as a resolve. This is a short, positive statement expressing an intention that matters deeply to you. It might reflect a quality you wish to nurture, a way you would like to experience life, or something you want to give more attention to.
Over the 35 years I have been practising Yoga Nidra, I have probably had about six or seven different resolves. Some have changed because I felt the intention had been realised. Others changed when I came to recognise that what I had hoped for was not going to happen, and that my resolve was better used to help me come to terms with that realisation. Sometimes a resolve simply stopped feeling relevant as my life changed. And there have been times when I have used a much shorter-term, or mini resolve, to help me through a particularly difficult period or crisis. My own experience has taught me that a resolve does not have to be fixed for ever. It can grow and change with you, and there is room to be flexible in how you use it.
A resolve can offer a gentle sense of direction, helping you remember what matters to you and how you would like to live. But there is no need to rush into finding one, and having a resolve is entirely optional. You can practise Yoga Nidra without one, simply allowing yourself to rest during the quiet pauses when the resolve would normally be repeated.
Different traditions and approaches to Yoga Nidra work with sankalpa in different ways. Some do not include it at all, while others use it differently. There is no single approach that everyone needs to follow.
What makes a resolve different from an affirmation?
A resolve has some similarities to an affirmation, but they are not the same.
Affirmations are often positive statements that we repeat to encourage a particular belief or way of thinking. A sankalpa is usually a deeper, longer-term intention, reflecting something meaningful that you want to cultivate in your life.
Rather than setting a small goal or trying to make an unwanted feeling disappear, your resolve might express the kind of person you want to become, the way you wish to meet life's challenges, or the qualities you want to nurture.
For example, if you feel you should be capable of doing more, you might choose:
I am learning to respect my own limits day by day.
If you feel you have no time for yourself, you might choose:
I am making more space for what matters to me.
The emphasis is on what you would like to develop, rather than what you want to get rid of. Your resolve is not a demand that you must feel or behave in a particular way. It is an intention that you return to over time, allowing it to guide you in a way that feels right for you.
Finding a resolve that feels right for you
Take your time. Your resolve needs to come from within. It should not be chosen for you by someone else, or be something you think you “ought” to develop. You may already have a sense of what matters most to you, or you may need time to reflect. Sometimes an intention emerges gradually through meditation, Yoga Nidra or simply living your life.
You might like to consider:
What matters deeply to me?
What qualities would I like to nurture?
What brings me a sense of contentment or meaning?
How would I like to relate to myself and others?
Is there a way of meeting life that I would like to develop?
Your resolve does not need to be about improving yourself. It might be about becoming more accepting of yourself as you are, finding moments of contentment, nurturing relationships or making space for what matters to you.
If you are living with illness, fatigue or other limitations, whether personal or external, you do not have to make your resolve about your health or those limitations. You might choose an intention that looks beyond symptoms and what you can or cannot do. For example, you could focus on connection, kindness, meaning or finding greater ease in everyday life. Your resolve need not depend on your health improving or on being able to do more. It can reflect something that matters to you, whatever your circumstances.
How to put your resolve into words
A resolve is usually short and simple, often around four to ten words. Keeping it concise makes it easier to remember and repeat without having to think too much about the wording.
It may help to keep these points in mind:
Keep it positive. Focus on what you want to cultivate rather than what you want to stop.
Use natural language. Choose words that feel comfortable and authentic to you.
Make it meaningful. It should reflect a genuine intention, rather than something you think you ought to want.
Keep it simple. One clear intention is usually enough.
There is no single correct way to phrase a resolve. You might use the present tense, describe something you are developing, express an intention for the future, or frame it as a phrase beginning with “May I…”.
Present: I have time for what matters to me.
Present continuous: I am finding new ways to enjoy life.
Future: I will take things one step at a time.
May I: May I meet myself and others with kindness.
Choose the form that feels most natural to you. You do not need to use words that feel untrue or uncomfortable, and there is no need to convince yourself that something is already happening if that is not how you feel.
Some examples
The following examples are simply ideas to help you find your own words. You could use them as a starting point, adapt them, combine related ideas or find words of your own for something completely different. It is your resolve, and you are in charge.
Ease, balance and contentment
I am developing greater ease and balance in my life.
I am finding contentment in everyday life.
May I find moments of peace each day.
I will make time for what matters.
Self-kindness and acceptance
I am kind to myself.
I am learning to treat myself kindly.
I am becoming more accepting of myself.
May I meet myself with kindness.
Confidence, trust and resilience
I am developing trust in myself.
I am meeting life with openness and curiosity.
May I find steadiness amid change.
I will approach life with greater awareness.
Connection, purpose and joy
I am nurturing meaningful connections.
I am finding joy in everyday moments.
May I meet others with kindness and understanding.
I will live with greater purpose and meaning.
Health and wellbeing
I respect my own needs.
I am finding a pace that works for me.
I will make space for rest and enjoyment.
May I meet change with patience and acceptance.
You might find that a resolve comes to you quite quickly. Equally, it may take time to discover what feels right. There is no need to force an answer or choose something simply to fill the space.
Working with your resolve in Yoga Nidra
In the approach to Yoga Nidra that I teach, the resolve is repeated silently at the beginning and end of the practice. At these points, the mind may be quieter and there may be fewer demands on your attention. You can repeat your resolve gently, without needing to analyse it or make anything happen.
One traditional way of understanding this is to think of the repetition at the beginning of Yoga Nidra as planting a seed, and the repetition at the end as watering it. You are returning to an intention that matters to you, allowing it to take root and remain in your awareness over time.
Once you have found a resolve that feels right, the traditional approach is to use the same words each time you practise, rather than changing them from one session to the next. As I mentioned earlier, however, your resolve can change over time as your circumstances and priorities change.
You may also choose to recall it occasionally in everyday life, when it feels helpful. Traditionally, a sankalpa is kept private, so you do not need to explain or discuss it with anyone.
You can continue using the same resolve for months or even years, until it has fulfilled its purpose or no longer feels relevant. There is no need to change it frequently simply because you are not noticing an obvious effect.
Do I need to have a resolve?
No. This is worth emphasising. You can experience the benefits of resting in Yoga Nidra without having a sankalpa. You may prefer to follow the practice without adding an intention, or you may find that working with a resolve is not right for you. Both are perfectly fine.
If you are curious, you can leave the question open and see whether an intention emerges naturally over time. You might even begin by simply noticing what matters to you, without trying to put it into words.
A resolve is not another task to complete or something you need to get right. It is a personal choice, and there is no deadline for finding one.
Above all, allow yourself time. Whether you work with a resolve or not, Yoga Nidra offers an opportunity to pause, rest and turn your attention inwards, without needing to achieve anything.
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