Intention vs In"tension"

Are you setting Intentions or In"tensions" ???

Intention is a word commonly used by yoga teachers when we arrive on our mat.  We set an "intention" for our practice, which can then be embodied as a daily, weekly, monthly, or even year intention.  An intention is not a specific goal, such as "I am going to master crow pose," or "today I will do a headstand," but rather a focus chosen by the heart, not the mind.  

As we sit on the mat or start our day  we ask ourselves how our yoga practice can serve us.  What do we need for support from the universe? Do we need to unload a few thoughts, more energy, silencing the self-critic, appreciating the body as is, accepting imperfection? Perhaps our intention is dedicating the practice to someone who needs healing energy or a helping hand.  These are intentions.  

I recently started to notice that I was focusing so hard on trying to find the perfect intention, that the motive behind the intention because intense.  I was furrowing my brow and struggling to find what exactly my heart was telling me and there were so many thought sounds inside my mind that I couldn't deeply listen.  Too much noise inside that head of mine!  I could feel my muscles tighten and become tense because I was striving too much.  Does this sound familiar to you at all?  Not being able to find an intention because you are thinking too much about what exactly you need in the present moment?  

When I realized that my intentions were become in"tensions" I decided to stop putting so much pressure on myself, which in turn became a daily intention.  The affirmations of may I release the idea of perfection.  May I accept who I am as is.  May I flow with life instead of resisting.  

Next time you are on the mat and find yourself struggling with choosing an intention, feel if you can release the struggle and allow yourself to simply feel.  Silence those chattering those and simply listen.  How can this practice serve me? What do I need today?  What feeling state would I like to embody?

Hope you enjoyed this short little blog on intentions.  Deep gratitude for all who are reading.  

Namaste,

Julie