intention is a roadmap

I won’t lie. It’s hard to write about intention without sounding like a cheesy motivational poster. It’s just. so. powerful. Intentionality guides the space between where you are and where you want to go. 

Whereas a goal might give you a destination, intention walks with you on the path, guiding you through the steps in between. And, it’s scalable!  When you set an intention at the beginning of a yoga practice, you’re saying: 
this is how I’m going to move; or
how I’m going to hold myself; or
what I’m here to cultivate, 
while I am in this practice. 

When you set an intention for your day (or for the summer ahead!), you’re saying:
this is how I’m going to move through the world; 
this is how I’m going to hold myself; 
this is the prism through which I will see, speak, and act. 

Like so many other things, our yoga practice is practice for life off the mat. We learn to move and breathe with intention in supported space, then expand from there. The really exciting thing is, when you move with intention, everything you do can have purpose and meaning.  You’re never just going through the motions. 

We’ll experiment with this in asana practice (yoga poses) and talk about how we can act with intention in daily life too. For now, start with curiosity. Be in conversation with yourself about how you want to move through the season ahead (or if that’s too big to start, how you want to move through the day).

a few examples of intention statements:

I choose to trust myself.
I am going with the flow.
I invite joy.
My mind is open toward new opportunities.
I am allowing grace to move through me.
I embody compassion.
I am embracing simplicity.

Ok, are you ready? Let’s get down to it. 

practice for uncovering intention

Give yourself a few minutes of quiet - recognize that you may need to ask for support from the people around you in order to do this.  Maybe you’ll feel ready to drop right in, or it may help to start by journaling or moving your body freely before you find stillness. 

Take a moment to listen inward. Feel your breath move through, your heartbeat; feel yourself supported by the earth below. Allow yourself to listen deeply and honestly:

what calls me to this practice; what am I in it for; what am I up to? 

moving through the summer I want to feel…

at the end of summer, I want to feel…

in the second half of 2024 I want to feel aligned with…

(again, you can write or move freely at any point; there are no wrong answers, you’re just investigating)

When you reach a pausing point, stop to review what you’ve found so far. does a clear pattern or consistent value emerge? You may have found your intention! It’s also good to note if you keep circling around the same question. Questions can form your intention too. 

Play around with it.  We’ll encourage you to revisit your intentions on a regular basis throughout the summer, recommitting or revising your intentions as necessary. 

Once you have something clear, write it down!  Put it somewhere you’ll see it regularly. Intentions push you to check in with yourself as you move through the day, the season, the year, and to act in alignment with what you really want.

Before you move on with your day, give yourself time to exhale. This could be a meditation, if that’s a familiar practice; it could be a few moments in Savasana or another supported position; it could be as simple as one full breath in and one full, free breath out. (If nothing else this summer, please, know that you have time for an exhale). 💓