Day 27: Hello Change
““Intentions like all other forms of thought, are waves that silently ripple, expanding out from the mind and to the universe.” ”
Being able to see the resistance is key, and now you have some support around that.
Also, I want to mention that the refining process of a sankalpa will come organically. If you think big, there will be big hurdles, and sometimes the resistance indicates that there are previous steps you need to take before attaining this specific goal.
Sometimes just asking “is this something I can realistically achieve in the next 6-18 months?” is helpful.
One of the most powerful ways to move towards your sankalpa is by changing the direction of your energy. When you let something go, you change in many ways. Those changes can create a ripple effect strong enough so that the future itself changes. We don’t realize it, but letting go of something that no longer serves us begins to create positive change in us, and in turn the world we live in. We feel better about ourselves, we get the things that are really important done, or we simply have that extra hour to practice in the morning. All thanks to change.
Departure Point
The Departure Point technique is “based on the principle that by giving something up, you can create an opportunity for the universe to fill the resulting gap with something new, and specifically something you desire-your sankalpa.” (Stryker, 2011)
Remember that list you made of your time-suckers, wasters or bad habits? It’s time to decide what you are willing to give up to achieve your sankalpa. What you give up does not necessarily need to be linked to your sankalpa in any way, it’s the creation of space for something new that is paramount.
Steps towards “Seeding the gap”
The gap is the space of redirection: it launches the intensity of your bad habit, and redirects it towards your sankalpa.
First decide what you are going to give up, then have two back-ups. For example,
if you give up Netflix binging, it may be as easy as cancelling your subscription, you however want to make sure that you are engaging in the behavior. If you give up Netflix and cancel your subscription, there still may be times when you think about it, but not as frequently. Thus, having a back-up is important. Once you are not stirred by your first bad habit or time-waster, you move on to the next, until you achieve your sankalpa.
- Netflix binging
- Checking email before meditation practice
- Walking and texting
Next is the process that I remember as Stop, Drop, and Roll, like they used to teach us in school in case of a fire. The fire is the bad habit, this method links you to what you really want to achieve.
When you feel the impulse of the bad habit, even just the thought of it: you stop.
- STOP — Stop moving towards the bad habit, don’t satisfy the urge!
- DROP — Drop your attention to divinity, or whatever you consider more powerful and greater than you. Surrender to this divinity and away from the urge.
- ROLL — Roll your sankalpa out. Remember to feel it and repeat it internally 3 times.
- Then, feel gratitude!
Why this method works (if you do it)
Vedic wisdom describes the mind as a body of water. In that body of water are many thoughts, and each thought is like a ripple. At times the mind is comparable to a choppy sea; other times it’s a surfer’s dream swell. When we learn how to quiet the mind and “still” the waters, we can drop an intention (sankalpa) into this stillness to expand (as energy) towards the universe, free of distortion. The energy of thought, when powerful enough, is transformed into the material world. An intention formed in turbulent waters will have less potential to expand. This is why when practicing the departure point exercise, we stop and create a connection to a Higher Source.
Today you begin this journey. Decide on your bad habit, use it as your departure point, and practice seeding the gap. Each time it happens, you get the opportunity to remember your sankalpa.