How To Set Crystal Clear Intentions
Let’s all take a moment to realize that we are one month into 2020. It’s crazy to think that, right? One month in, and I have hardly made progress towards the intentions I set for myself. Well, obviously because we have only completed 1/12 of the year. Before being discouraged by thinking that you haven’t made progress or it’s time to give up because you’ve already missed out on X amount of days doing X, just stop and think for a second. Re-frame the situation.
We’re not “already” one month in >> we are ONLY one month in.
We haven’t failed at our intentions (resolutions if you will) >> we are still WORKING towards the set intentions.
It’s not too late to set an intention for 2020 >> it is actually the perfect time.
You’ve already started the year off, had time to see what everybody else is working on this year, and likely had time to reflect on what you hope this year brings for you. So often we get caught up at the end of a year to set a goal for the next year, and in 2019 it was all the hype about the next decade. Cool, it’s another 10 years. Nobody talks about the decade from 2009 to 2019, or 2008 to 2018 - a decade is just 10 years and there is no reason why 2020 needs to be the best decade of your life. It’s just a year, another milestone, and another point in time to set goals and make a change if you want to. If you’re like me and got super caught up in the end of last year and hardly had time to set intentions for the year, that’s fine! There is still so much time. I hate that everyone gets caught up in this ONE day, January 1st, as the only day that you can make a change in your life. You can make a change in your life any day.
Overwhelmed by all the “change” talk and not sure what you want intend to do this year? Here’s a tip on how to set crystal clear intentions: just breathe.
“Breathing is the first act of life, and the last.”
My man Joseph Pilates had it right. Your breath is your vital life force. It is something you don’t even think about doing. You’re reading this right now and probably have no focus on your breathing because it happens subconsciously, as it should. The coolest thing about your breath is that it is something you can have complete control over. That’s right, your VITAL life force is something you can have complete control over. This is why all the mind-body exercisers, the pilates goers, the yogis, the meditation doers make it seem so easy to be chilled out and relaxed. They have learned how to focus on their breathing as a way to control their psychological and physiological being.
When we’re stressed out, it’s likely because we are feeling like there is too much to do and no time to do it. To-do lists pile up, the obnoxiously long list of goals we set for ourselves seems unattainable, and we lose sight of things and start working on autopilot. Well, your breath changes in response to this change in stress. It becomes more shallow. You don’t take full, deep filling breaths into your lungs, filling up your abdomen and providing your body with oxygen. You take shallow, small, quick breaths. Those are not relaxing and, honestly, they aren’t helping your situation.
If you want to be laser focused and set clear intentions, you have to have a clear mind. Which means, you need to have a chilled out nervous system. The way you breathe will dictate which side of the nervous system you are tapping into. Either your “fight or flight” sympathetic nervous system, or your “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system. Most people are living with their nervous system in that “fight or flight” state due to stress, and also because of the way they are breathing. Chances are, if you’re stressed at work, stressed at home, worried that you didn’t set intentions, feel like you’re not reaching the goals you set, experiencing a setback, lost and don’t have direction for the New Year, you could use a quick minute of breathwork.
It’s amazing to me to think about the fact that we can control which side of our nervous system we can tap into. You can quite literally change how your body responds to stress, which makes it that much easier to focus on your goals and reflect on the intentions you have for yourself for the day, week, month, year, and decade. Get yourself into that calmed out, chilled out state and keep your vision for the future crystal clear.
Quick, Do-Anywhere, 5 Minute Breathwork
Start by lying down in a comfortable position with your knees bent, or sitting in a supportive chair with your feet flat on the ground. Rest your hands on your lower abdomen, just on top of your hip bones.
Take a breath in. Exhale the breath out. Repeat that three more times just noticing where the breath goes and how it feels. Is your breath quick? Do you feel your hands move at all? Do you feel the breath go down into your abdomen?
Now, practice controlling your breathing.
Inhale and feel the belly expand, feel your hands gently move away from each other
Exhale and feel the abdomen lower, hands lower back down to their resting position
Do not try to pull your belly in on your exhale - keep all of this light and relaxed.
Inhale for a count of 4 - feeling the belly rise.
Exhale for a count of 6 - feeling the belly lower.
Repeat this for 10 more reps, 10 more deep breaths.
Congrats! You just tapped into your parasympathetic nervous system. How does it feel?
I think the hardest thing about starting a meditation practice is the time. You’ll hear people who say they’re committed to 20 minutes of meditation daily, and while that is a great amount of time to meditate, you can still achieve benefits with less time than that. It doesn’t take 20 minutes to reset your system and clear your head. It can be done in such a short amount of time.
My Favorite Hacks To Get It Done
Set an alarm
Schedule it on the calendar
Keep a yoga block in front of my bed so I remember in the morning
Sit down on yoga block for at minimum 60 seconds prior to turning on the TV or opening the computer. Chances are once you just sit down, you’ll stay longer than 60 seconds, but don’t put pressure on yourself to make it long. Just do it.
My Favorite Resources To Make It Easy
Tell me, how did that quick breath flow work for you? What are your best meditation resources or hacks?
- Mar