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Mindful ActivityHow Do You Set an Intention?

How Do You Set an Intention?

Andy walks you through a quick exercise that will help you set and reach your goals.

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So one of the best things we can do at the start of each day, or like right now at the start of the week, is to be really clear what our intention is for the week. So ideally, it needs to be something that's within our control. Perhaps it's the intention to listen to others a little more. Maybe it's to not get so caught up or overwhelmed by our thinking. Maybe it's to be a little more patient. Whatever it is, again, make sure that it's something that you can commit to, something that you can choose to do. And something that feels practical, that you're able to do on a daily basis. And the clearer your intention is, the more likely it is to happen, and the more likely you are to experience the benefits. So just as a way of sort of starting that off. If you just take a moment now, just take one big, deep breath, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. And as you breathe out through the mouth, just gently closing the eyes, feeling the weight of the body press down. Feet on the floor, your hands on the legs. And as you pause to enjoy that feeling having stopped, having nothing to do. Just be really clear in your mind without thinking too much about it, just clear and confident in your mind about what that intention is. How that intention requires a steady, gentle focus throughout the week. Remind yourself at the beginning of each day, at the end of each day. Don't give yourself a hard time if it doesn't happen in every moment. Just a steady, gentle commitment. Just stay with that feeling of the breath for a moment. That rising and falling sensation in the body. And then just gently bringing the attention back once again to that feeling of contact, of weight, and the space around you. The clarity of that intention. And then whenever you're ready, just gently opening the eyes again....

Details

TypeMindful Activity
Duration3 min

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  • A former Buddhist monk, Andy has guided people in meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. In his mission to make these practices accessible to all, he co-created the Headspace app in 2010.

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  • Eve is a mindfulness teacher, overseeing Headspace’s meditation curriculum. She is passionate about sharing meditation to help others feel less stressed and experience more compassion in their lives.

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  • Kessonga has been an acupuncturists, therapist, and meditation teacher, working to bring mindfulness to the diverse populations of the world.

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  • Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love.

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