Do you know what the two most powerful words in the world are?
I am.
And the words that follow this statement? They create your reality.
Those words become the architecture of your identity. They shape the way you see yourself, how you move through the world, and what you ultimately believe is possible for your life.
Whatever follows them doesn’t just describe who you are—it begins to create who you are. With every “I am” you speak, you cast a vote for the life you want to live, the person you wish to become, and the reality you’re building.
But what happens when you desperately want to make a change? To create something new?
What if there’s a dream inside you that feels so big it almost scares you?
Something you’ve been trying for years to shift, heal, or reach—and no matter how hard you try, it feels just out of reach?
That was me.
Years ago, I was deep in a long, painful struggle with trichotillomania. For two decades, I tried everything I could think of to stop pulling my hair.
I went to therapy using my work-provided health insurance, hoping for guidance, and I’ll never forget how, after just one session, the therapist told me the best path forward was to cut off all ties with my parents.
At the time, that felt impossible. I was working with my parents and teaching yoga on the side.
My yoga career was just beginning to bloom. I was booking more classes, more students, and more recognition. But I was also stressed beyond belief on how to make ends meet.
To give you an idea—at my peak, I was working full-time and teaching three yoga classes a day. For about four years, I never had a full day off.
Yoga was my passion, but I didn’t know how I could sustain myself in one of the most expensive places in the country on a yoga teacher's salary.
Introducing a Sankalpa
One day, amidst all this, I attended a yoga nidra class. It was there that I was introduced to the practice of sankalpa.
A sankalpa is not your typical intention. It's not a resolution you abandon by mid-January.
In the yoga tradition, a sankalpa is your heart’s deepest, soul-guided resolve. It is a clear, affirmative statement that begins with the words "I am," and declaring a truth you are ready to live into.
Unlike a wish or a goal, a sankalpa is framed as if it's already happening. It aligns your conscious and subconscious mind to shape your reality from the inside out.
That day in class, the teacher explained that you only choose one sankalpa at a time. One clear dedicated and devoted focus. I had two deep desires burning in me:
-
To stop pulling out my hair.
-
To travel to India and study yoga at the Ashtanga Yoga Institute in Mysore.
She told us that the process of manifesting a sankalpa could take 6–18 months.
I thought, I’m going to make this happen fast. I was ready. Ready to stop hiding under hats. Ready to be free. Ready to also become the best yoga guide I could be.
My first sankalpa became:
I am free from the urge to pull. I have a beautiful head of hair and feel confident in my body.
And I practiced and repeated this statement often—quietly, tenderly, and with deep intention.
It became a thread I wove through my daily life. When I brushed my teeth, combed my hair, sat down to a meal, or stepped outside for a walk—I would repeat my sankalpa.
Any moment that allowed me to pause and notice my thoughts became an invitation to remember who I was becoming.
This is what I want you to know: this practice is accessible.
You don’t need hours of time, nor do you have to unroll your yoga mat to do it. A sankalpa lives beautifully in the small, ordinary moments of your day.
It can also be honored through a more intentional ritual—like yoga nidra, a guided meditation that leads you into a deep state of rest where your subconscious becomes especially receptive.
Below, I’ll outline how you can begin your own sankalpa practice—whether you have 90 seconds, nine minutes, or an hour. This work meets you wherever you are, and it can begin right now.
The Sankalpa Practice
Create your sankalpa in the simplest, most direct way—but let it carry deep meaning for your soul. It’s less about fancy language, and more about truth. It should stir something inside you, awaken your desire to change, and feel like a quiet promise between you and the life you're calling in:
1. Listen inward. What does your heart deeply, truly desire? This is not a surface wish—this is soul-level truth.
2. Write your "I Am" statement. Phrase it in the present tense, as if it is already true.
-
Examples:
-
I am free of negative, obsessive thought loops.
-
My body is healthy and I wake up every day with vibrant energy.
-
I rest deeply each night, free from tension, stress, and anxiety.
-
3. Visualize it. Practice yoga nidra or any deep meditation where you enter a relaxed, receptive state. During this time, repeat your sankalpa and visualize yourself living it—feel it in your bones, see it in your mind’s eye.
The subconscious doesn’t know the difference between imagination and reality, which is why this works.
4. Repetition. Repeat your sankalpa daily. Ideally during meditation, before sleep, or in a relaxed state. Repetition, and emotional resonance are key.
5. Trust the timeline. For me, it took 18 months to stop pulling completely. But it happened.
And 8 months after that, I found myself in India—feet grounded on the soil of a lifelong dream—studying yoga at its source, filled with awe, gratitude, and a sense of coming home to myself.
Why It Works
The sankalpa practice works because it aligns your conscious desire with your subconscious programming. When the two are in harmony, your actions, choices, and beliefs begin to match your deeper truth. You’re no longer working against yourself—you’re moving from the inside out.
The Healing Behind the Scenes
Part of my healing during this time also involved making a monumental shift: I left my job working with my parents. That decision was not easy, but it was necessary. The workplace had become a toxic environment, and I came to understand that it was one of the root causes of my stress—and the driving force behind my urge to pull.
Leaving opened doors I couldn’t have imagined before. I stepped into a leadership role at a yoga studio and began to receive new opportunities that supported me emotionally, spiritually, and financially. My teaching career blossomed in ways I had dreamed of. The more I aligned with my truth, the less space there was for the old patterns to hold me.
This chapter of my journey is something that I speak in more detail about in So How Did I Stop Pulling Without CBT.
This entire experience became the inspiration behind the I Am Tiny Intention Tattoo. It’s a reminder—gentle but powerful— empowering ink of the two most transformative words we can speak.
It honors the practice of sankalpa, the power of working with the subconscious mind, and the truth that what we speak, we begin to become.
Now, It’s Your Turn
This practice isn’t just something that worked for me—it’s a tool you can use too. Whether you’re standing at the edge of a dream, navigating a hard season, or simply wanting to feel more aligned in your daily life, sankalpa meets you where you are.
Journal Prompts for Creating Your Sankalpa
-
What is a deep desire I’ve carried for a long time?
-
Where do I feel out of alignment with my truth?
-
What do I need to believe about myself in order to shift this?
-
If I could wave a magic wand and become one thing—what would I say “I am” to?
-
What would it feel like to live that every day?
Final Reflection
Once you see a sankalpa come to life, there’s no going back. You begin to understand that you’re not just dreaming—you’re designing. You are the creator of your world, and the words "I am" are your blueprint.
Say them with love. Say them with courage. Say them again and again, until your life rises up to meet them.
Resources & Inspirations:
-
The Four Desires by Rod Stryker
-
Yoga Nidra Meditation by Magnolia Zuniga (SoundCloud)
-
The Champion Mindset by Florencia Andres (Lesson 7: Working with Your Subconscious)
-
The 6 Phase Meditation by Vishen Lakhiani
May this be the beginning of something powerful for you. I’d love to hear your sankalpa, your reflections, or any questions you have. Share them in the comments—or send a note my way.
With love and fierce belief in you,
Charina