“Intentions show you that you are in control of your thoughts, your experiences, and your reality.”
– Author Unknown
Intentions take consciousness because whether we want to be or not, we are always sending intentions into the universe and participating in the creation of the internal and external environment around us. So, because intentions are manifesting whether we are being clear about them or not it is best to be conscious so that what manifests for you is what you truly desire.
Your psychology motivates and influences your physiology. Meaning the process of being Intentional comes from within your body. (I choose to believe the heart space) ;-). The more conscious you are the more powerful you become in creating the life you want and desire. Consciousness is the state of being awake and aware of one’s inner and outer surroundings.
Intention is taking processed inner wisdom information and sending that information outwards away from the body as a want, idea, need, desire, goal, etc…
To develop your conscious awareness and increase your inner wisdom in developing impactful intention-setting skills, here are a few tips you can try.
1. Draw a timeline of your life and markdown impactful moments, memories, and learning’s from these moments (both harmful and empowering moments).
2. Journal and continue to grow your skills and personal growth by tracking life experiences, feelings, thoughts, and ideas.
3. Identify cognitive distortions.
4. Explore & clarify your values.
5. Be around lots of different people, cultures, communities, and schools of thought. Adopt curiosity, critical thinking, and ask questions. Identify the things that you resonate with and things that you do not. Leave judgement behind simply by adopting self-awareness and what relates and resonates with you.
6. Develop a spiritual practice such as meditation, breathwork, yoga, etc… that takes you inwards.
I personally find that Yoga has been incredibly impactful for me in creating focus and power that is directional and purposeful, yielding the desires I was hoping to achieve. I used to go to Yoga classes because I was seeking. Seeking stillness, seeking answers, seeking community, seeking connection with myself, etc… the list goes on. One major issue though was that I was never aware that without having an intention for my practice (Sankalpa) I was seriously doing myself a disservice. I would leave a class feeling better, stronger, more flexible, or more rested, but it would dissipate, and the sensation of seeking would return. I realized after attending some classes with a non-gym type feel and a more spiritual based teacher that it was because I had not invested in my Sankalpa or setting an intention at the beginning of the practice, the fruit of revisiting an intention throughout a practice or the enlightened perspective received when checking into your original intention at the end of a practice.
Since taking my yoga teacher training and exploring yoga from an embodiment perspective versus a fitness perspective yoga has become a platform of intentional ritual and listening in for me.
Setting an intention is a powerful tool that helps regulate & focus our minds, calm the body, and create a bridge of connection between the mind and body. Kalpa means vow, or “the rule to be followed above all other rules.” San refers to a connection with the highest truth. Sankalpa, is then, an intention formed by the heart and mind as a vow and commitment we make to support our highest truth.
Yoga by far is not the only practice or ritual we can adopt to support us in creating and manifesting intentions in our life that are conscious, wholesome, healing, focused, revealing and serving. Following your best path in regards to creating a safe space to explore your inner and outer climate or deepen into your inner wilderness, designing your desired feelings and experiences is a journey into its own and quite possibly the most educational part of the process.
Yoga-based activity: Try this short yoga sequence with and without setting an intention. Notice the differences in your body and your mind as well as your outcome after your practice.
Affirmation activity for setting a clear Intention:
1. Get grounded and quiet.
2. Decide upon a future goal or desire you want to give attention to. write it down and read it over and over and then repeat it in your mind over and over until it is clear.
3. Use all your senses to imagine yourself after this desire or goal has manifested or been achieved. What do you feel? What has it changed? And how does it impact you and the environment around you?
4. Breathe deeply and offer yourself an affirmation around this intention. An example is “I am sending this intention out into the universe to manifest as it’s meant to. I remove any resistance or barriers that may arise internally and give my full permission for this intention to come to fruition in the right timing and space. I release attachment to the outcome and choose trust and faith that what is meant to be will be and that my intention is guiding the way”
Have fun and be purposeful in developing your inner wisdom by starting with Intention setting.
Let me know if you need any support or have questions. I am here to hold the space for you and offer some guidance.
