The Ayurveda Experience Blog
I met with a friend today who has applied the “law of attraction” in her life for some time.
Wikipedia decribes the law of attraction as “the name given to the maxim ‘like attracts like’ which in New Thought philosophy is used to sum up the idea that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts a person brings positive or negative experiences into their life.”
My friend is someone who manifests money, good relationships and joy, and exudes a light that she says she must share in her daily life. She lives and breathes these practices, only seeing abundance, beauty and sharing love wherever she goes and in whatever she does.
I was truly inspired spending time with her positive and inspiring attitude.
Driving home after our meeting I thought about how the change of season reminded me of what she had shared over lunch. She stated that letting go of negative beliefs and jealousy of co-workers and others success had to be eliminated from her consciousness to manifest abundance and wealth, and that each day one needs to be present and breathing into “this” moment in order to manifest, to be alive.
How complimentary to Ayurvedic philosophies, I thought, and what a metaphor to the changing and falling of the leaves.
The Law of Attraction and Sankalpa
I reflected on how my friend uses the power of intention, using vision boards and aligning herself with source energy every day to work, live and relate to others from the highest truth. It seemed that on some level she understands the deepest truths of Ayurveda.
Ayurveda describes “intention” with a Sanskrit word called sankalpa.
This exquisite word is described like this: “Sankalpa (Sanskrit: संकल्प) means conception or idea or notion formed in the heart or mind, solemn vow or determination to perform, desire, definite intention, volition or will.” (Wikipedia)
When we discover our heart’s desire and discern our heart’s purpose, our sankalpa, it becomes the motivation behind everything we do. We can then relax and learn to live with sustained joy and a deep sense of peace and fulfillment; anxiety, grief and depression are no longer lurking.
How is intention different from goals?
Goals focus on a fixed outcome in the future, while intentions focus on the present and provide the light to live moment to moment.
Goals are an effort to achieve a set of results in the future, which we accomplish or fail.
Intentions help point us with more clarity toward our heartfelt aspirations and values, our sankalpa. Regardless of the outcome, we gain confidence that our actions are in line with our personal beliefs and desires. Our intentions serve as a guide to living consciously and joyfully.
Listening to what is deep in our heart and soul, what we really want, is the first step.
Five Steps to Create Intention
- Sit in silence and listen from within—at least 20 minutes.
- Write down what you want to create, or create a vision board.
- Discern your natural gifts; write down a few.
- Take action that is aligned with source energy. Feeling as if you are in the flow when you are doing something is a true indicator as to whether or not you are in alignment with source energy.If you are feeling good, happy, peaceful, content, pleased, like dancing, creative, excited, glowing or joyful, you are in alignment with source energy.If, on the other hand, you are feeling stressed, depressed, sad, resentful, anxious, worried, mad, fearful, overwhelmed, sick, frustrated or upset, you are not.
- Let go of attachment to outcome. By being patient and trusting in divine time, everything you need will show up, plus more.
Ayurveda teaches us that when we align with our highest purpose, when our actions serve the highest in others, when our thoughts and feelings are positive and uplifting, when we can let go of the “ego” and be present with compassion, we can feel the many blessings in our lives both within and around us. Then our lives become an offering and we live in dharma.
My friend expressed interest in learning about Ayurveda. Don’t you think she’s got the best part?
Allow this season of change to inspire you to get “naked” with yourself—like the trees whose leaves are detaching from their branches—and discover who you truly are!
