Setting Your Intention
Did you know that setting your intention at the beginning of your yoga class helps build your awareness about your current state of mind on the mat?
Personally, I have been to many yoga classes to experience the feel of how other yoga instructors run their classes.
Surprisingly, none of them encourages the setting of attention at all. They rush into yoga poses after some warmup exercises.
Unlike Hwee and her classes that I have attended, Hwee has never failed in asking her students to set their attention before she starts her class. She would not rush her class into yoga poses like all those that I had experienced. This is one reason why I like her classes so much.
I feel that when you calm your mind and set an intention, you bring your attention to how you’re feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally at that point in time. It makes you think about what you want to see happen that day or what do you want that class to do for you, or what you want to achieve out of that class. Is it flexibility, muscle toning, strength?
In addition, your intentions need not be all about yourself, your intention can be about other people as well. Like your wishes for your friends who are going through a rough patch in their work or relationships, or someone you know who is sick at the hospital, or someone you know who has just lost a job, etc. The opportunities are endless.
After you have set your intention, you carry that intention mentally throughout your class as you do the poses as instructed. You will discover a different yoga experience.
You will feel personal fulfillment, happiness, and gratitude within you. And then you carry that feeling into your day and everyone you meet shall be blessed by you one way or another. This is what yoga is to me. Blessing ourselves and blessing others with our intentions for them.
If you have been practicing yoga without setting your intentions, maybe you want to start setting your intention today or at your next yoga class. You will start to feel and experience yoga differently.
On the other hand, should your yoga instructor does not have the habit of setting the intention at the beginning of the class, then maybe you want to set your intention before the start of the class yourself on the mat. Maybe during your warmup before the class.
I hope readers of my blog articles will agree with what I just mentioned and experience yoga in a different light.
Yoga is not only practiced on the mat, but also throughout our days.
You have my best.
Victor Ang
Founder & CEO, Victoria Rose