By Ian Laver

In a recent article we looked at determination in the context of tapas - generating a positive and intense practice that transforms, but we need to delve a little deeper at what we are intending with a resolution in the first place. This a conscious refining of the awareness of what drives our motives and actions - in our mad-rush everyday world we may feel we know why we do certain things or make certain choices, but in many cases this is not so cut and dried. There are often a number of issues happening at once, and in daily life we all experience these at one time or another. While more complicated then I have written here, the basics might be thought of as follows: 

1.    We can have a clear intent, a clear plan and the experience and skills to carry it out.

2.    Another is a clear intent but no plan, experience or skills as to how to carry it out

3.    Further is an unclear intent and consequently no hope of achieving anything concrete

These three can be related to the yogic concept of the Three Gunas or qualities: Sattva (purity, easeful balance), Rajas (activity, passion) and Tamas (darkness, inertia). Bear in mind that the gunas can be related to all aspects of life as they are the physical expression of life itself, nothing in the universe escapes their existence.

So, looking at number 1 n relation to intent, for most of us we find that we develop this ability pretty well as we age and gain worldly experience - but usually only in some areas and often exclusively within the worldly arena we are familiar in dealing with, such as our profession. Experience (or perhaps innate ability) gives us ease and a trust in our actions; there may be short term stress of a kind but we know absolutely that we shall see things through as our intentions are clear and we are confident in making beneficial choices -this can be equated to the concept of Sattva, easeful, and balanced living, possibly called, 'Living from the heart'. The second is based on past success with experiences from the first category and so by faith and trust in those past experiences we seek to attain whatever is needed for success. This can consume large quantities of energy as mistakes are often made - the old saying, 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions', (a phrase coined during the Spanish Inquisition - not very trustworthy to say the least!) comes to mind here. This produces greater stress then the first instance as we are gaining new and unkinown experiences - this stage equates to the level of Rajas or intense activity, possibly called 'Living from the head'.  The third is when things get uncertain and jumbled - a large part of our lives take can take place within this space - we have a 'feeling' or a wish about a direction but somehow lack the energy and will to focus further. The signals seem vague, we remain uncertain and often fall into lethargy over the whole thing, we wish to but it's, 'just too hard' - we are in the realms of Tamas - dull and heavy with a sense of inertia, possibly called 'Living from the senses or lower, animal nature'.

We can see that our life and by extension our evolution moves through, in and around these three qualities. In terms of a development of clear, Sattvic intent, the practice of yoga gives us many tools to clarify this without having to bash our heads on the wall of worldly experience every time - there are other ways. To be clear within ourselves we need to develop inward focus and an understanding of the issues that drive and control our activities. We have within all of us uncontrollable impulses that our deeply rooted in the subconscious, most formed from early childhood (with the yogis saying from past lives as well), these are known as samskaras - they colour our view of ourselves and how the world operates within and around us, acting like a tape loop of behavior patterning which keeps us on a repeating, action/reaction treadmill. By working with the tools of yoga - the stress relieving and physical health giving practice of asana, the vitality building and life force concentrating pranayama techniques and a variety of meditation practices that gradually allow us to see our mental patterns and deep conditionings and where we can view things more and more from a perspective that has no fear, bias or attachment - our issues can then be released and resolved. It is through the meditation techniques that most of the true work is done over time. From a yoga perspective, the energy of our past 'issues' remains locked within our spinal region. Asana cleans, softens and helps burn away tensions and blockages, pranayama cleans the psychic nerve channels or nadis allowing a smooth flow of life force to circulate within the body/mind which in turn opens the link between the physical and non physical realms of manifestation, this then allows the various meditation practices to help shift our awareness to subtle realms of clarity and understanding beyond limitations of mind and physical form.

In Chapter 1, verse 2 of the Yoga Sutras Patanjali stated that the fluctuations of consciousness need to be calmed, he named these in verse 1.5 as being of either an afflicted or painful (klistah) or non-afflicted, non-painful (aklistah) type. In Chapter 2 he then says:

Samadhi bhavana artha kles tanu karanarthah ca

These practices are used to weaken the afflictions and cultivate an attitude conductive of cognitive absorption.
                                                                             Yoga Sutras - Chapter 2, verse 2
 

It is only when we have released a subconscious issue through our practices that we can then develop clarity about ourselves in some particular way. In a session of yoga the practitioner may sometimes experience this shift during the pose of savasana - true pratyahara may occur whereby the practitioner remains awake and lucid yet awareness of the five physical senses recedes into the background. A vision or experience of a past issue comes to the front of consciousness with intense clarity, often only fleetingly and sometimes (not always) is accompanied by an emotional release. If the practitioner can remain detached from the experience then certain issues related to the experience may be dissolved permanently. We become a little more 'whole', a little more easeful and windowrelaxed about things and so are more able to move forward with a calm certainty. Of course this does not happen all together at once with everything - it is a gradual process of unfolding as too much too soon causes more stress and constriction. These practices, in relation to the subject of intent bring us gradually to living more and more from a sattvic perspective. This changes what we wish to 'intend' with our intent. We become more encompassing and less selfish and grasping, our energy becomes more universal and compassionate - we have clarified our intent. 

This is also not about whether our intent is 'good' or 'bad', those are relative concepts based on cultural and social conditionings. While necessary in a healthy functioning society such moral codes are part of the world of duality and ultimately bind one further to delusion and reinforce our subconscious 'afflictions'. The yogi endeavors to step beyond all limitations to see what lies at the core, needing to be aware of where all impulses and desires come from. As H.G. Wells said, "Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo."

Once we begin to unfold sattvic intent, even a little, it shifts from the everyday to the inner and it is then that a clear intent sets the ability to form a true Sankalpa or inner resolution within our formal practice.