By Maria Santoferraro, The Daily Downward Dog
One thing that I’ve always loved about yoga is when the instructor asks the class to set an intention for their practice. The good yogini in me knows that these intentions should be focused on things like staying present while on the yoga mat or stopping myself from being so judgmental about how far my heels are from the floor in downward facing dog. But, the aggressive Type-A yogini in me occasionally likes to throw in a few intentions about the things that I want to manifest in my life.
Now that I’m a yoga teacher, I get to share that practice by including a few quiet moments at the beginning of class where I ask my students to close their eyes and focus on their intentions. I explain the importance of setting an intention, and I caution them to be careful and to aim high because our minds really do want to do their best to give us what we ask for.
To provide a little guidance on the practice of setting intentions, I offer my students a few examples to gently nudge them in the right direction. Now I want to share my top ten yoga intentions with you.
Intentions should always be stated in a positive way, so here goes: My intention is to…
- Let go of baggage and move on. (You know, those grudges you hold, the people you need to forgive, relationships that need to end, etc.)
- Make a transition in my life. (Are you thinking about a move or a transition in your life? Set an intention to get you on the right track or to ask for the guidance to get you where you want to go.)
- Unleash my fears. (Especially good for new yoga students who may have some trepidation on their yoga mats.)
- Be more patient.
- Open my heart (and mind) and send this love out into the world.
- Practice being non-judgmental of myself and others.
- Find my purpose in life. (Personal intentions are fine; just don’t put out intentions to win the lottery. Instead, ask for ways to make a difference and to help others.)
- Choose to be happy.
- Let go of stress – not only for the next 60 minutes on my yoga mat, but also as I go through my week off the yoga mat.
- Free my monkey mind and let go of the incessant chatter – to let my mind be free and immersed in the union of the body and the breath.
In reality this list can never be limited to just ten, and really the most important thing is to listen to your heart and to use your yoga mat to begin your very own spiritual journey.
Whatever your intention is, repeat it to yourself three times, and as you breathe in a deep inhale, imagine it sealing into your heart. Just remember to be very careful because when you direct your mind and heart in a new direction, it can be very powerful!
Maria Santoferraro, RYT, is a yoga teacher and writer living on the beautiful shores of Lake Erie, Ohio. A former stressed out corporate executive she set some powerful intentions to turn her life around through the practice of yoga and is reaping the benefits every day. Go from stressed out to blissed out with her blog The Daily Downward Dog, Twitter, and Facebook.
#10 really resonates with me for what I'm going through. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us, Maria!