A Sankalpa is a resolve, (or resolution if you will,) which can be also made before any sadhana or beginning of any yogic practice, before meditation, or even at the start of our day. The idea of repeating a sankalpa is to create the life we are meant to embrace and enjoy. The purpose is to transform one ‘s life physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. When made on a mind that is calm and relax, the sankalpa is impressed on the subconscious. We then plant the seed of our sankalpa at the deep level of our soul, knowing that when the time is right, in the divine timing, this is what we will be experiencing in our lives.
Kalpa means vow or promise, and should be the rule to be followed above any other. San refers to an association with the highest validity. Sankalpa is then a vow and a commitment we make as a cornerstone to support our highest truth. A sankalpa should respect and uphold the deeper meaning of our life and is a declaration you can call upon to reinforce your true beliefs and guide the choices you make through life. The sankalpa should be a short and positive statement and commitment you make to yourself, and should be repeated three times, ensuring that you do so with feeling and commitment and thinking of higher power as your witness.
Excerpt taken from www.intuitiveflow.com/the-meaning-of-sankalpa written by