What is an intention?

As I begin writing my thoughts on setting an intention the sun is setting and I can see this straight through my bedroom window. I think about the day just gone and go back to how I started this morning. During my meditation this morning I felt strongly connected to my feet. I felt them positively heavy and steady. So my intention was to stay with that grounded feeling during the day.  Did I manage? Most of the time yes, but sometimes my thoughts were a little unstable. But as I end this day I am back to that solid grounded feeling as the sun sinks into the earth.

The definition of an intention is:

An intention is an idea that you plan (or intend) to carry out. If you mean something, it's an intention. Your goal, purpose, or aim is your intention. It's something you mean to do, whether you pull it off or not.

I try and enter every yoga practice, every meditation with an intention. To help me stay focused. I may or may not be able to hold onto this during every practice. But it for sure is an extremely helpful tool if I feel myself drift to shopping lists, the list of things to do, the thoughts I may have about my children or expectations, and judgments I have of myself.

Setting an intention for the day or for a practice can be quite simple and doesn’t require a lot of thinking. Sometimes I can find myself feeling too distracted with rushing around, to be everywhere on time. My intention might then perhaps be, just to take half an hour where I sit down to catch my breath. Also, sometimes when I start my yoga practice I can simply connect to my breath and to be aware of the breath in each movement.

An intention is a gathering of energy towards a personal goal, or it’s the drawing of a map of where you wish to go. Intentions give you a good framework in where you can build. Yet you have to let go of the expectations of how you will get there. It’s not to be confused with a goal, it something that you align yourself with. You should feel like you can proudly commit to this.

 It always takes place in the present moment. Let it always come from your heart. When it truly comes from your heart it allows you to connect to it smoothly. Authentic connections cannot be forced, they just seamlessly flow and they are always positive.

The image of an arrow leaving its bow has been used by other yoga teachers and it is a powerful vision. The arrow might not always land where you want it to. As there are always winds, rain, or other obstacles that can cross the arrow’s path. But it’s the aiming, it’s the journey that keeps us in the present moment, and from those present moments, we can only grow. The growth is the magical part.

“Intentions compressed into words enfold magical power.”
~Deepak Chopra

Why you should do Yoga!

From my own journey yoga is one of the most liberating experiences.

If you are considering starting your yoga practice here are just a few reasons why you should do Yoga!

•  IT FEELS GOOD TO MOVE YOUR BODY. The reason why it feels good to move your body is that during most people's daily lives, the body doesn’t fully get used. To move and connect to parts of the body that feel disconnected allows you to feel better as a whole.

• IT CONNECTS YOU TO THE PRESENT. In a world where we are busy and have many to-do lists, yoga practice can give you the space and time to unplug. To spend that time being with yourself, your body, your breath. For that moment nothing else is needed. Happiness is found only in the present moment.

• IT RELIEVES STRESS & ANXIETY. By encouraging to be present and to relax in that moment, yoga helps to lower the stress hormones such as cortisol. Having that moment of stress relief has many other benefits on the body such as; lowering blood pressure and heart rate, improving digestion, and boosting your immune system.

• IT WILL HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER. When there is less stress in your life you will sleep better. Using your body physically and stilling the mind lowers those stress hormones, which will aid your sleep. There have been a variety of studies on yoga and sleep.

• IT CAN HELP RELIEVE CHRONIC PAIN. Studies have been carried out and it has shown that a regular yoga practice can reduce pain for people with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, back and neck pain.

• IT WILL MAKE YOU STRONGER. A daily yoga practice will help tone your muscles.

• IT WILL IMPROVE FLEXIBILITY. Yoga practice is great for improving flexibility and gaining a bigger range of movement. You don’t have to flexible to do yoga. The beauty is that yoga can be practiced by all levels of ability.

• IT REMINDS YOU TO BREATHE. Breathing is often taken for granted. Our breath, mind, and body are connected in a feedback loop. Yoga brings awareness to breathing and moving at the same time. Notice when your emotions are affecting your breath. Sometimes taking a deep breath is all you need. Connecting to the breath will help you clear the mind and think more clearly.

• IT CAN HELP UNLOCK STUCK EMOTIONS. Your practice, your mat is a safe space to connect to difficult emotions. Sometimes a pose can make your cry till you can’t stop. This is totally normal. Our bodies carry emotions and sometimes a yoga pose or sequence can tap into those emotions that we might have forgotten about. Let it happen. Just consider it good therapy.

• IT WILL HELP YOU BE PLAYFUL. Practicing yoga encourages you to approach each new challenging situation with curiosity rather than with a preferred type of outcome. It helps you rise to these challenges with playfulness instead of ego and frustration. Allowing this to be a practice rather than a performance. As adults, we don’t often try new things like a child might. Cultivating that child-like mind is liberating. It’s a place to be less goal orientated and to enjoy the journey.

Note from Sarah: What is Vinyasa Flow Yoga?

This time I want to talk about the benefits of Vinysasa Flow Yoga.

This practice is rooted in how you synchronise your breathing with flowing movement. The ultimate benefit is that you will arrive at a harmonious, balanced and mindful state. 

This particular style of Yoga practice is my passion. It has taken me beyond what I thought was possible for me. It has given me more energy and freedom of movement. This has given me the tools to be able to truly listen to my body and my state of mind, so that I find myself more present on the mat when I am teaching.

For me the most important benefit of this practise is arriving in a flow state. 

I recently had an experience, where I arrived to teach feeling extremely nauseous but was able to quickly zone in on my body, focus on my breathing and came to a stillness and I was able to not feel nauseous any more. 

You can apply this to your own practice, if you are feeling stressed, worried, anxious or overwhelmed, then a Vinyasa flow practice can mindfully alleviate and reduce the impact of these emotions leaving you feeling more relaxed, at ease and of course in “the flow state”.