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New Years Resolutions

April 5, 2019 / Interesting Reads

New Years Resolution

Almost every New Years resolution starts with 2 words “I will.” We call on our willpower to change or alter something about ourselves or our circumstance. We set unrealistic goals and fantasies about how our life might look if we had more money or lost a few kilos. Most New Years resolutions come from desire, ego, senses and conditioning. They almost always fail because they come from the assumption that you are not enough and that your happiness lies outside of you and is dependent on you buying the latest gadget or acquire a 6 pack. When our happiness relies on something outside of ourself we will always suffer.

Sankalpa is a refreshing alternative. It comes from the radical belief that you already are what you need to be to fill your life’s dharma. That everything you need is already inside you. All you need to do is focus your mind, connect to you most heart felt desires and channel the divine energy within.
Our dharma is our overriding reason for being here. When our sankalpa reflects this (our intention reflects our purpose) when we are aligned with our desires/intentions and purpose. It is our desire that reflects our true nature.

A sankalpa is simply a statement of who you are when your dreams are coming true. It doesn’t come from the intellectual mind. It comes from deep within. Directly from the mystery of who we are and why we are here. Listen, your heart felt desire is already there. Waiting to be heard.
As you identify your sankalpa see if you can see it as if it’s already happening. So instead of “I want to be more relaxed, I want to run a marathon, I want to practice asana daily, I want to feel secure.” See it like this I am relaxed and peaceful, I am crossing the finishing line, I am dedicated to my daily practice, I am loved and secure.
Keep it brief.

Your heart, cells, body and mind know your longing and purpose.

Are you open to listen?

With love and grace

Leyla Meredith
C0-Founder, Karuna Yoga Journeys

© 2026 – Karuna Yoga Journeys. All rights reserved.

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Benny started out practicing Hatha and Iyengar yoga from the age of 15, but only discovered Yin Yoga in 2015, finally becoming a teacher in 2017. Since then she has never looked back and continues training in and teaching this wonderful practice wherever and whenever she can. Based in Kenya, she teaches studio classes in Nairobi.

Despite her strong alignment background her classes and trainings take on a very functional approach allowing the variations is our body the freedom to move at their own pace. She believes that it is important to cultivate a sense of self-awareness with regards to our body and mind so that we may be truly in harmony with ourselves and our environment. One of her primary disciplines is the study of human anatomy as she sees it as a fundamental part of any yoga training.

As a certified yin yoga teacher, Benny’s Yin Yoga background is extensive, having trained with some of the Yin heavyweights like Paul and Suzee Grilley, Sarah Powers as well as Jo Phee and Joe Barnett which she also assists around the globe.

Jordan has been practicing yoga for over 10 years in the US, Europe and Kenya. She received certification in Baptiste Power Yoga with the Africa Yoga Project in Kenya, completed the Karuna YTT in 2018 and recently completed a course in yoga for 12-step recovery.

She teaches a range of classes in Nairobi including classes at wellness centers, classes accompanied by live musicians, private classes, charitable classes at a school for street kids and charitable trauma-informed classes at a girls’ school in the slum Kibera.

Jordan is an active volunteer in a number of yoga-based initiatives including the Africa Yoga Project, Mental 360 (NGO creating awareness of mental health issues offering counselling and yoga) and New Leaf Rehabilitation Center in Lamu (development of a yoga program for recovering addicts). She is also certified in Reiki Level I and is a beginner student of Qigong.



Since 2001, Sophie has been evolving her spiritual, emotional and physical relationship with yoga — a practice which has emerged as her primary source of grounding, connection and healing. Her training includes a 200 hour YTT in Costa Rica with Sonic Yoga (2014), a 200 hour YTT in France with Liquid Flow Yoga (2017), and trauma-sensitive yoga trainings with The Minded Institute, Off the Mat (Hala Kouri) and OMPowerment. In 2016, Sophie developed Healing and Resilience Through Yoga (Hart Yoga), a yoga-based psycho-social treatment approach currently being implemented with survivors of human trafficking across Africa and USA. https://movewithhart.org/

Sophie is grateful to the core teachers who shaped the contours of her practice and, most importantly, showed her the boundless generosity of spirit, especially Dana Flynn (her first teacher – what a gift), Simon Park, Gopi Kinnicutt, Jodi Boone and Barbara Verrochi. For inspiration, acceptance and support she is forever indebted to her sister-teachers in Uganda: Leyla Ahmet Meredith, Payal Gori, and Angela Inglish-Gill. Sophie’s teaching style uses fluid movement, consistent breath, and creative sequencing to gently challenge practitioners of all levels