Recently I have been spending a few moments setting an intention before beginning my daily practice. These are the qualities of the heart that I would like to manifest in my life. Part of setting an intention means listening carefully to what the deepest part of me wants – to the still silent whisper of my heart.
The intention may be to be kind to myself or to open to whatever arises or simply to be more present to the flow of body sensations as they rise and fall from moment to moment.
It is important to distinguish the difference between goals and intentions. Goals are aspirations for the future that I seek to achieve whereas intentions happen in the here and now.
For example I may have the goal to get physically stronger in my yoga practice. Whether or not I achieve my goal is not entirely in my control. For instance, it will depend on the state of my health, how often I practice and a myriad of other factors. On the other hand my intentions are entirely in my control and dictate how I relate to myself in any given moment. For example if my intention is to practice non-harming, then in performing an asana I will not push myself to the limit and potentially hurt myself. I will practice in a way that strengthens the muscles, joints and ligaments without compromising them. Practicing in this way strengthens the values of non-harming, patience and humility and the wisdom factor of not being attached to outcome.
Leave a Reply