How can setting Intentions help you on and off the Yoga mat...
So, you maybe settling down on your Yoga mat ready for your class and your Yoga teacher invites you to “Set an Intention for your class today".
You are most likely thinking, what is an Intention? What does that even mean and why do I need to set one, how is this linked to Yoga? Ummm, i can't think of anything...
When I first stepped foot in a Yoga class and heard the teacher say “Set an Intention for your class today” I just didn’t understand what it meant as I had never heard the word Intention being used in a class before. I never related my thoughts and feelings to an intention to make it physical or happen in reality. So at first I didn’t really understand it lol, so if you have ever felt this then you are definitely not alone.
The more I connected with my personal Yoga, Mindfulness and Meditation practice, the more an understanding of what Intention setting was and how it actually helped me move forward and deal with everyday life. This is also known as SANKALPA (sanskrit term) mainly used in Yoga Nidra but it's the same as the meaning of Intention.
Like most people we wake up in the morning on autopilot, turning off your alarm, looking at your phone, jumping straight out of bed, breakfast, make lunch, drink coffee, shower, get dressed and so on...
You may get loads done in the morning which is great and you probably don't even realise what you have done. But do these things matter to you the most? Are you living in a Mindful way which expresses your values of who you are? Are you focusing time on what makes you happy, which helps nourish you and gives your life meaning?
"Intention is simply making something in your mind real or what you want to be real as possible. It's creating direction to something in your life that you want to have, be or do, like a habit".
HOW TO SET INTENTIONS FOR YOURSELF
I would start by asking yourself – what do I want to create in my life, or what do i want my life to have?
I wouldn’t use the word achieve as it's just too “normal” and it's not about achieving something, it's about creating something for you in a time which is right. And remember, no pressure, it will come to you with ease and grace.
Things that will lead to the life you would like (examples could be around Relationships, New Jobs, New Home Life etc…)
Things that impact the quality of your life (examples are having more fun, connecting with friends and family, doing things you love and making you feel good, etc...)
How you want your life to move through each day, week, month or year (examples are with ease, joy, happiness, gratitude, kindness to yourself and others etc…)
Once you have a vision of your Intention, try to see what it would be like when your Intention becomes reality.
How would you feel? This part is all about connecting with your feelings and emotions, which then connects to your thought process and helps to fortify the Intention and bring it to life.
Here are five simple step to setting your Intentions / Sankalpas
1) FOCUS on what you want to create, something to impact the quality of your life.
2) Start to VISUALISE what it will feel like to have this in your life.
3) CONNECT with the experience and feelings.
4) WRITE your Intentions down. It's so important to write them down wherever you are going to see them and remind yourself of them, maybe pop them on a wall, on the fridge door by your front door when you go out to work, in your car or even in your phone somewhere.
YOUR INTENTION ALWAYS STARTS WITH “I AM……”
5) Last thing is once you have set your Intention (you may wish to set more also along the way). But give yourself a few months to see what happens with them, allow patience and time to help you fully understand your Intention.
Use them in your Yoga, Mindfulness or Meditation practice. Also use a Journal to write down your experiences and what you have created….something to reflect on a few months later, to see if what you have created came alive.
EXAMPLES OF INTENTIONS COULD BE:
1) I will remain present on the mat
2) I am going to stop over thinking
3) I will love unconditionally
4) I intend to make someone smile today
5) I will bring gratitude into my daily life
6) I won’t judge, I will accept life as it is today
7) I intend to bring Mindfulness into each day
The more you set Intentions the more understanding you will have of them and the deeper you can take them into your everyday life.
It's important to remember that intentions are not about reaching a destination or taking on specific action. An intention is meant to help shape how you go about creating your life, your values and purpose.
There is never a bad time to set Intentions.
By setting an Intention, we get the chance to redirect out thoughts in ways that allow our desired end result to come true. Intentions help you move forward and stay present, but it's also important to create one which will be simple to start off with.
"I truly believe in setting intentions, it's one small habit which can totally change your life"
Thank you for reading my blog on setting Intentions, I also bring these into my own personal practices and daily life. I love setting myself Intentions as they help support my mental health and personal values.
If you interested in any of my upcoming Yoga, Mindfulness and Meditation Classes this month - please take a look on my website at my future classes and offers. https://www.beyoubeyoga.co.uk/
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