January has flown by and if you’re like most of us, your new year’s resolutions have flown with it.
Why don’t new year’s resolutions last long?
It might be because they are goal-oriented, driven by the end results. When we focus on an exact out come, we set our expectations. And when we don’t reach it within the time frame we’ve set, we become discouraged, self judgmental, and even give up.
For example, if my new year’s resolution is to lose 10 pounds by January 31. What happens when January 31 comes and I’ve only lost 4? I may feel discouraged, like I’m not able to do it and I might as well give up.
Don’t give up! You can become free of bad habits, habitual patterns of thinking, and live your best life.
Try this instead…I encourage you to take your old resolution, dust it off, and morph it into an intention.
What is an intention?
An intention is a guiding force without attachment to an end result. A goal is about the destination, versus an intention is about the journey. Setting an intention is a way to stay focused in a direction you would like to go in. It doesn’t mean you have to practice it perfectly. We can learn from it, and when we ver off the path, we can resume our course without judgement or conflict.
The ancient yogis in India found that intention can consciously determine the course of our life rather than the one our unconscious has chosen for us. Yoga Nidra, a unique mindfulness meditation practice that originated in India, uses intention as a powerful tool to create new grooves at the subtlest state of being and physically transform the brain’s chemistry.
Yogi Amrit Desai explains intention, “Unless we know where we are going, our life will be driven by our unconscious tendencies. If we are not conscious, our life will be left to the devices of a haphazard, rudderless guidance system at the effect of whomever takes control; our highest potential one day, and our weakest samskaras (unresolved issue or memory from the past) on another. What is needed is clarity and stability of focus. Most of us have never considered what we truly want from life. We have a plan, direction and vision to actualize our business, but not one for the actualization of our life.”
Here’s a list of intentions to get you started.
Overeating: “I love my body by feeding it nourishing foods.”
Not enough money: “I never need money. I always have an over abundance.”
Less stress: “I resolve to remain present and calm in the midst of chaos and change.”
If you would like to learn more about setting intentions or practice working with your intention through Yoga Nidra meditation join Curt Gibson and Deanna Gray every Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:00 pm at the Dunedin Community Center, 1920 Pinehurst Rd.
