5 Ways To Set Powerful Home Practice Intentions

The intention behind your yoga practice is paramount. Our purpose is the driving meaning behind our time on the mat, and it can inspire us to stay committed, allow us to connect and reconnect, and be a positive vehicle for mental and physical change. When committing to a home practice, intention carries even more weight. When setting an intention to guide your home practice, consider these five ways to cultivate a powerful sankalpa (intention) or purpose.

1. Pick A Word

Allow a single word to drive your practice. Think about words that evoke meaning in your life, words that align with a desired feeling you’d like to manifest in your life, and a select one that is authentic to the direction you’d like to feel once you have completed your practice.

2. Dedicate It To A Loved One

Devote your practice to someone in your life that you would like to give energetic support, think of, and connect to. You can dedicate the entire practice to one individual or you can focus in on a few loved ones throughout your practice.

3. Keep It Open Ended

Phrases like ‘beginner’s mind,’ ‘give yourself permission,’ and ‘simply be open to the experience’ are yoga-isms that most of us have heard in a class or workshop once or twice. Consider using an open-ended thought like that as the catalyst for your intention.

4. Theme It Out

Have a specific theme that you align with. Whether it’s to be compassionate, to explore your shoulder mobility through patience, or to approach each new posture with an attitude of healing or newness – allow your theme to inform your intention (or sankalpa).

5. B is for Breath

The breath is the constant of your yoga practice, so why not make it the intention as well? Intend to breathe with grace, ease, and consciousness, and work to align each element of your practice with the breath.

Over to you! Care to share your most recent intention? What inspires your purpose on the mat?

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