If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, you’ve probably stood at the front of your mat during the beginning of class while the teacher asked you to "set your intention." She or he likely had you draw your palms together in front of your heart like you were praying. As you looked around a sea of focused, content faces, your internal response to this moment may have been, “I need to do what??”
Setting intention is an incredibly popular statement these days. Without proper guidance, it's also incredibly broad. Where does one begin with a big term like "intention"? Let’s look at some potential options:
A. World domination
B. Stop thinking about how angry you are at your partner
C. Touch your toes
D. Simply survive the next 90 minutes of class
The proper answer? All of the above.
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Yoga is a beautiful platform to weave your intention wherever you need it to go. Some days will be pure and simple: "I’ve been in a bad mood, and I want to feel better. I know if I take this next chunk of time to connect my movement to my breath, I’ll reduce my stress and have a more optimistic take on life. Whatever junk I’ve been dealing with before I walked through that door is old news for now. This mat is my island, my solace, and I’m going to use this practice as a way to power-clean my mind and perspective."
Then there are days when you need the practice for power. Your intention is to become ferociously alive! It's to empower yourself through the commitment to the poses and to challenge yourself to step outside of your normal comfort zone and into a class that makes you mentally and physically work. This intention simmers throughout the class until the power comes with you off of the mat and back into your attitude and choices outside of class.
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Now what about simple intentions like being able to touch your toes or drop your heels to the ground in downward facing dog? Or perhaps your goal is to kick up into a handstand against the wall and hold it for eight breaths. Are those petty intentions? Hardly! The physical aspect of yoga is often the gateway to a lifelong relationship with this practice. Setting physical goals or moments of achievement keep you inspired and dedicated. I showed up daily on my mat for years with the main purpose of improving my posture practice. This is a fabulous way to motivate.
Some days you won’t want to do yoga. Changing into stretchy pants will feel like climbing Mt. Everest, and you'll hit every red light as you drive to the studio, where—of course—you won't be able to find parking. You'll finally get to your mat to ask yourself the simple question: Why on Earth am I here? It’s these moments when you set the intention to show up, be present, and survive. You don’t need a grand intention. Sometimes you just need to get through the current frustrating moment so you can land in a satisfying savasana and leave the class feeling like yourself again.
So next time you take a yoga class and the teacher asks you to set an intention, you can knowingly smile as you join your hands together in front of your heart. Let that moment be completely yours and an opportunity to infuse what you need in that very moment in time behind every breath and movement you take. You’ll always be right on track.
MORE: 11 Surprising Perks of Practicing Yoga
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Kathryn Budig is a jet-setting yoga teacher who teaches online at Yogaglo. She is the contributing yoga expert for Women's Health magazine, a Yoga Journal contributor, yogi-oodie for MindBodyGreen, creator of Gaiam's Aim True Yoga DVD, co-founder of Poses for Paws, and author of Rodale's The Women's Health Big Book of Yoga. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or on her Web site.
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