The Life-Changing Practice of Setting Intention
“We either live with intention or exist by default.” – Kristin Armstrong, professional cyclist and 3-time Olympic gold medal winner (and no relation to Lance …)
It has been many years ago now, but the memory is as fresh as if it happened yesterday. There I was, nervously sitting on a mat at the start of my first-ever yoga class, when the instructor asked the following: “What is your intention for your practice today?”
“What!?” I thought, already prepared for this experience to be outside my comfort zone.
He went on to explain that setting an intention would help us get our mind and body aligned and allow them to both be present in the space – to “be here now.” He further encouraged us to consider making it an “I am” statement to allow it to indicate both a present intention and future aspiration. “You don’t even have to believe that it is true!”
“I am … calm,” I thought to myself. That was certainly both a present desire and future aspiration. And after repeating it to myself and going through the class, I actually did feel calmer, and returned the next week, and the next, and soon I was hooked not only on the practice of yoga, but also on the act of deliberate and conscious intention-setting. In the process, the application of those intentions expanded from “pre-class” to the entirety of my life.
Later I learned the Sanskrit name for this “whole life” intention-setting process is sankalpa. A sankalpa is an intention formed by the heart and mind – it is a is a vow and commitment made to support one’s highest truth and best self, and is something lived into in the present, not some time off in the future. Doing so is what makes it more powerful than a goal. Think of it as “a promise to your Soul.” It is a word or phrase that can be used regularly to serve as a reminder: “This is my intention for the practice of my life in this moment.” Research has found that such regular intention setting can actually “rewire” our brain, alter our psyche, and even change our physiology.
All this resonated with me, and as I began to practice this daily, it became a very powerful tool to help me proactively calibrate my “life lens” and in the process, more effectively navigate the many challenges, frustrations, and “surprises” of life. Upon waking, I would pause and ask, then answer, the question “who will and how will I show up to this day?” with my family, friends, colleagues, patients, work team, neighbors, strangers – to those who are kind to me, and those who are not. My personal daily sankalpa became “Today I will live in Love as Light.”
And it still is …
How about you – “What is your intention for your practice today?” What “Soul promise” are you embracing each day to help provide focus as you connect with others in your world? Consider creating the habit of making it by design, rather than by default, and notice what happens. You can thank me later …