Intent On Intention

Last week, Stacey Skilton-Pitz (of Ssp Yoga in Ft. Washington) and I  hosted the first of our Summer Workshop Series onIntention.  The first 45 minutes began with flow yoga, the focus on how Intention starts in the mind, and how we can relate this to our bodies.  The next 45 minutes was a guided discussion on how to live a life of Intention, specifically how we mentally enact thought into action.

I've written much about this topic in many of my blogs; while not always the primary focus, it is the common thread woven throughout each piece.  You see, it's the motivating force that can positively guide us through our lives when obstacles and chaos have the potential to veer us off course. Following is a brief, modified excerpt from this session:


In today's technologically abundant world, it's easy to get overwhelmed with, well, everything.  We are more in touch with what's going on everywhere, with everyone, on every level, at all times, at the click of a finger...and, conversely, less in touch with our own selves. It's sensory overload, and it's easy to become immersed in things that are outside our own realities, getting caught up in a world that isn't our own. And once off-course, it's hard to find the way back...back to inner peace and the path we're meant to walk individually.

We need to continuously find our way back, to focus. On what's real and what truly matters to ourselves. We need to stay honest to our souls, and follow our own calling. But how, with all the noise that is constantly buzzing in our ears? 

It's called Intention.  According to Deepak Chopra: "Intention is the starting point of every spiritual path. It is the force that fulfills all of our needs, whether for money, relationships, spiritual awakening, or love. Intention generates all the activities in the universe. Everything that we can see – and even the things we cannot – are an expression of intention’s infinite organizing power."

When you wake up in the morning, it's important to start the day with a plan.  Intent on what you hope to accomplish each day, and action points to get you headed in the right direction.  It's not a wish list, per-say, but rather a Plan A to get us started on the right foot.  It is what you wish to accomplish, but it's more about achievable goals in a short-term fashion, and always followed with actionable steps.

Throughout the day, many things happen out of our control that may throw us off course.  But with this Plan A, we can look back and re-focus, or re-shift, as needed.  As you know, we may not have control over the changes that come our way, but we do have control over our reactions to such.  We can always shift not only the next step(s) we take, but our perspective: the tiniest shift in perspective can lead to the biggest shift in how we see reality and move forward.

Think about it.  You're stuck in traffic and road rage is building. BUT, if you stop to change perspective, you can realize that perhaps the Universe is working in mysterious ways: the traffic you're experiencing is the miraculous way of having you avoid an accident you otherwise wouldn't have had you proceeded to drive at 65mph. 

In turn, perhaps what you were in a rush to do no longer seems as important. Or maybe it still is.  That's when you need to re-focus or re-shift your intentions.  Again, focusing only on your reactions (the only thing you have control over) to re-align your Intentions to most positively suit your Plan A. There will always be things or people that will throw us off balance. It's up to us "shake the dust" and keep focused, in spite of the shake-up.

Intention, and finding it, requires daily (sometimes hourly) upkeep.  It's like bathing...and no one can do it for you.  Only you are responsible for you.  Only you can make you happy.  Only you can walk your path.  As long as you have clear intention.


"Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change." -Wayne W. Dyer