Yoga Glossary · Breath & Energy
Sankalpa (intention)
A short, heartfelt intention set at the start of practice — a resolve, not a goal list.
Sankalpa combines san (a concept formed by the heart) with kalpa (a vow or rule to follow): a one-line intention, stated in the present tense as something already true — 'I am steady' rather than 'I will stop wobbling'. Traditionally it is planted at the start of practice, and revisited in deep relaxation, when the mind is quiet enough to receive it.
Teachers open many classes by inviting a sankalpa because it gives the practice a through-line: every hard pose becomes a place to rehearse the quality you chose. Unlike a goal, it is not graded at the end of class. Unlike a wish, it is phrased as identity — which is why training manuals treat it as one of the simplest, most durable tools a teacher hands a student.
In practice
- Keep it to a few words, present tense, positive frame: 'I am patient' beats 'I will not get frustrated'.
- One intention per practice is plenty; repeating the same sankalpa for weeks is traditional, not lazy.
- Set it before the first Sun Salutation and recall it in Savasana — the two quiet bookends of class.
Related terms
Test yourself
Pose IQ's Breath & Flow rounds quiz this term and its neighbours — ten questions, explanations after every answer.
The Yoga Glossary is an educational study reference. Definitions are standard yoga and anatomy knowledge in plain language; nothing here is medical advice.