Pure-2.html

Intention

Samkalpa

Personalizing your intention
empowers your life.

All of us would like our lives to be free from suffering, whether it be physical, emotional, or spiritual in nature. Yoga, much like other Eastern practices, doesn’t distinguish between the different sources of pain. Suffering may stem from a spinal injury or the emotional anguish of a loved one passing, but it all manifests in the body and the mind in similar ways. Whatever you might be struggling with, yoga is a path to freedom. Sincerely ask yourself why you opened this book and write it down, as we will explore these reasons in more depth throughout this chapter to refine your personal intention for developing a yoga practice. As you begin to transform your perspective, you will accept that you do not need to be a new or different person—the goal is to better understand yourself. As you read the chapter, write down your thoughts and insights. We’ll conclude with an exercise to help you refine your original intention as a profound statement of personal truth.

Life’s Peak Moments

Can you remember the most special day of your life? Was it your wedding day, where there were months or years of preparation, a meaningful ceremony, and a joyous celebration with family and friends? Was it a special vacation or trip that you thought about for years? Was your favorite day an accomplishment, like a school graduation or completion of a tremendous project? Perhaps it was the experience of true love. Can you remember a profound spiritual experience that might have occurred when someone helped you out of a troubling time, or perhaps an experience in nature where you felt a connection to a higher reality? These “peak experiences” in life grip the consciousness and demand to be taken seriously.

There is always a driving motivation in the pivotal times of life. The experience of a wedding is based on love. Even in situations where people get divorced, they still entered into the marriage from a place of love. Achievements of various kinds are usually based on a desire to serve others, like going to school to become a doctor or teacher, or just to become a better person. Each and every peak experience is the result of a powerful intention. It is unfortunate that for many of us those special days are fleeting and can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

In terms of doing yoga, you might remember the first class you took. You might remember a special retreat, where you had a very good experience. If you’re a yoga teacher, you certainly remember the training courses and the first few classes you taught. However, once you’ve practiced yoga for six months, it starts to lose its allure, similar to becoming comfortable in a marriage—the enthusiasm around the wedding vows sometimes fades into everyday routine.

I have noticed that the people who are able to transform their original reason for beginning yoga into an intention to make it a spiritual practice realize the greatest benefits. Treating something as spiritual practice means renewing deep-seated intentions every day. Connecting to something larger than yourself while doing yoga poses will impact your entire life, including your physical health. When performing yoga poses, a married person might think, “Today is another day to consider how to better love my spouse.” Or the individual might say, “Today is another day for me to renew my commitment to a healthy lifestyle,” or “Today I’m going to think of my job in terms of its larger purpose in life. I’m going to feel inspired at work, even if I feel my job is somewhat mundane.” Most importantly, everyone can think, “I’m going to renew my commitment to spiritual growth.”

The Gunas

To better understand intention, we need to consider the three basic qualities of nature, or gunas, from yoga philosophy. These three gunas refer to basic ways of being in the world, and you can use them to develop a clear-headed intention and commitment to your daily activities, not just yoga.

The gunas originate from Samkyha, one of the six schools of classical Indian philosophy. In Samkyha philosophy, the gunas are three “tendencies”: rajas, tamas, and sattva.

In simple terms, rajas refers to activity, tamas to inactivity, and sattva to purity or equilibrium. You can probably identify with all three states of being, whether you are feeling energetic and obsessive (rajasic), dull and depressed (tamasic), or calm, clear, and focused (sattvic). Yoga seeks to magnify the pure sattvic state of being because it best facilitates the path of self-realization. In physical practice, this means cultivating an intention that matches the lucidity and luminosity of consciousness itself.

In the examples that follow, notice how each individual’s intentions are explained in terms of active, inactive, and pure. As you read these stories, think about your personal intention for reading this book and studying yoga.

Mary is a 36-year-old woman who has come to class in order to lose weight. She has just given birth to her second child, feels unattractive, and is afraid that her husband will lose interest in her.

The unconscious intention of her active state is attachment and egoism. If dominated by an active (rajasic) state, Mary turns her fear into action. She eats low-fat foods, experiments with fad diets, and tries expensive products to help her look younger and more attractive. She spends extra money to make herself as pretty as she can. She works really hard to impress her spouse in a more external way, attached to his approval. Mary desires to look like the young women she sees in magazines, and she compares herself to others in yoga class, struggling to make her body look like theirs. She fails to understand the deeper aspects of yoga. Mary’s underlying belief that she is not good enough and her extreme and obsessive actions actually push her husband away.

The driving forces of her inactive state are disorder and fear. When in an inactive (tamasic) state, Mary has a fatalistic attitude, a sense of lethargy, and a fear that her husband will never really love her completely. In order to run away from these feelings, she secretly eats a lot of food that she knows isn’t good for her but brings her comfort. Not mindful of eating three meals a day, she becomes flustered and disorganized and feels like she does not have enough time to exercise and eat well. She practices yoga in spurts, but her fear eventually grips her and she drops out. Her husband, with understandable cause, starts to be unsatisfied with their relationship.

The motivation of her pure state is self-care and love. From a pure (sattvic) perspective, Mary realizes that what attracts someone to us is not our external appearance, but our inner vitality. She knows that being attractive comes from being happy with who she is. Mary recognizes that by taking care of herself and doing things that are creative and fun, she will be a balanced woman, mother, and wife. She starts to see that the love
that she and her husband have for one another far outweighs the shallow attraction he may have to other women. In her yoga classes, she is inspired by lectures as well as her own growing sense of self. She begins to eat healthier food to feed her soul, and her weight starts to normalize. She starts to glow and her husband notices this internal beauty. Her experience and self-confidence make her beautiful. They both realize that beauty is not skin deep, but of the soul.

Steve is a 40-year-old businessman who comes to yoga because his lower back hurts. He wants to gain flexibility and learn to cope better with stress.

The unconscious intention of his active state is competition and egoism. If Steve is more active, he works hard in order to gain external approval. He wants to have a lot of money and esteem, a fancy car, and designer clothes. He has a strong drive to succeed. Steve sacrifices his own self-care in order to work excessively and have more power. Even in his yoga practice, he seeks personal gain, focuses on physical fitness and flexibility only, and wants yoga to fix the pain in his low back. He dives into yoga and goes to class every day for two months. As he tries to compete with the other students, his practice remains external and he eventually pushes too hard. He injures himself and stops doing yoga altogether.

The driving force behind his inactive state is depression and laziness. In an inactive state, Steve feels beaten down by his job. His life has somehow disintegrated to the point where he has to have this job to support his family. He’s lost his creative edge, feels slightly depressed, and has started to take some medication his doctor thought would help him get through this particular time. He’s not completely inactive, in that he has some hope, because something in his gut says this is not the right course of action and he won’t always feel like this. He looks to yoga to be a miracle cure and figures he’ll try it for a while. When he doesn’t see results instantly, he decides it is too much effort and quits.

The motivation of his pure state is self-care and illumination. In a pure state, Steve recognizes that he doesn’t have a lot of skill in dealing with stress. He has read that deep breathing and relaxation can alleviate stress and anxiety. His doctor recommends yoga and Steve goes out of his way to research it, learning from various friends and family about their experiences. He arrives at yoga class with an open mind, knowing that he’ll need to do the work, but hopeful that yoga will guide him. He realizes that he’s been creating his own stress by putting pressure on himself to be something he doesn’t have to be. Steve discovers what is most important to him and takes some of the pressure off his work life, making him more successful and at ease. He begins to notice that pain returns to his lower back when he is under stress, but that with some deep breathing and stretching, he can manage it and gain a new perspective on the situation.

Laura is a young woman in her mid-twenties who comes to yoga for spiritual growth. She’s in good shape and looks great, but is starting to feel a little stress at her job. She is beginning to think about settling down and taking life more seriously, but a lot of her peers continue to be concerned with superficial things, like going out and drinking alcohol at parties. She has noticed how people who don’t care about themselves become unhappy later in their thirties.

The unconscious intention of her active state is egoism and attachment. With an active intention, Laura gravitates toward a fitness type of yoga because she is worried about putting on a few extra pounds. She is not that concerned with the deeper meaning of yoga, but wants to look good. She attends short-term, trendy yoga events so that she can say she studied with famous yoga teachers, even though she didn’t learn much about herself during the abbreviated studies. (A balanced approach would be to attend these seminars to learn more about the yoga world, but not to have them be a core spiritual practice.) Laura gets really fit, and if she’s super dedicated, she becomes a yoga teacher of this style, where they do poses like an exercise workout in the name of yoga. She’s probably learned to be calmer, but everyone thinks she is more spiritual than she actually is.

The driving force behind her inactive state is helplessness and dullness. With inactive intentions, Laura continues to live in the way her friends live, even though it doesn’t feel right for her anymore. She signs up for yoga because her friend is doing it. When her friend changes to another exercise fad, she follows suit. She doesn’t notice the difference between yoga done for exercise and yoga done with a deeper spiritual purpose. Laura is stuck in her own thoughts, worried about what people think of her and unable to see what’s going on around her.

The motivation behind her pure state is spiritual growth and clarity. In a pure state, Laura discovers how important it is to have a positive attitude toward life. She realizes that her perceptions are creating a lot of her stress. She begins to read spiritual books and considers going to therapy to figure out who she really is. She attends yoga classes and practices at home, as well. Laura notices that she feels much better on days she practices yoga at home. She integrates yoga philosophy into her life and eventually signs up for a yoga teacher-training program in order to further her understanding of yoga. She decides to stop drinking alcohol because she wants to cultivate more clarity and understanding. She feels lighter and clearer as she makes small changes like this in daily life, and her deeper soul starts to radiate out.

These examples of Mary, Steve, and Laura offer a greater understanding of the different intentions people bring to yoga, as well as the results of such intentions.

How Misdirected Intention Leads to Suffering

As discussed earlier in the chapter, there is almost always an intention behind every action that we take in life. Intentions can either be beneficial or damaging to our well-being. This is certainly true in yoga. Think for a moment about what might happen to a student whose intention in doing a yoga pose is to look good and impress others. The student is inclined to push beyond his physical limitations and eventually injures himself. In contrast, a student whose intention is to appreciate his body will likely be finely attuned to his capabilities and will have a deeper physical, emotional, and spiritual experience in his yoga practice. Let’s further explore the three types of intention to get a sense of how they affect your life.

Active intentions are those that serve to boost the ego: What can I do and how can I work harder to look better, be more fit, and improve my external self so that other people like or respect me more? This intention is mirrored by many of the cultural values that society reflects from childhood to adulthood: study more; compete in work/school; make more money; be stronger, faster, more physically attractive; and stay busy at all times! A capitalist society promotes speed, profit, power, progress, stress, and materialism. The idea of continually seeking out “more and better” is like a cat chasing its tail, never finding the happiness that gets put off to “someday.” This type of attitude in a yoga practice continues the fast pace, with no chance to rest or feel, and prohibits the slow-paced awareness required for self-understanding and healing.

Inactive intentions stemming from fear and confusion cause a person to practice yoga simply because a doctor or friend said to. Laziness leads to an intention of wanting instant results without putting forth the effort required to really change habits and perceptions. Many people start yoga and quit early in the process because they are not ready for the big changes and challenges associated with personal growth.

Freedom from suffering (physical, psychological, and spiritual) happens with the cultivation of pure intention—bright, calm, clear, immaculate, illuminating, and balanced—and learning how to practice these states of mind, body, and spirit. The intention for yoga poses becomes a virtue like “compassion” or “courage,” changing with each day, depending on what is relevant for living well. A new perspective helps us to deal with stress and transform attitudes toward daily interactions. We discover the true source of pain, learn how to take responsibility, and become who we want to be. In this space, a yoga practice offers a fuller sense of self-awareness and facilitates the greatest healing.

Cultivating Pure Intention

Pure intention is fundamental to life, not just yoga. As you learn to cultivate pure intention in yoga poses, you’ll start to do the same in your daily actions. Many of us live disconnected from our intention for doing things, whether in work, relationships, or some other area of life. How can we embody our most inspired self if we aren’t clear on the reasons behind our actions?

In learning to cultivate a pure intention in yoga practice, let’s once again consider The Yoga Sutras, one of the most revered Indian texts on yoga philosophy and practice. The Sutras offer The 8-Fold Path of Yoga, which provides the structural framework for yoga practice. The 8-Fold Path leads to physical, psychological, and spiritual health and is a key foundation to our studies in this book.

For our present purposes, we’re going to explore the first two aspects of The 8-Fold Path, the restraints (yamas) and observances (niyamas). They outline ethical principles to help us live an orderly and harmonious life and give direction on how to practice pure intention.

Restraints (Yamas)

The restraints (yamas) are the first step in The 8-Fold Path, and they describe behaviors to avoid in thought, word, and deed. As you read, keep in mind that the restraints are stated in their more positive sense (for example, the principle of non-violence urges students to not be violent, and truthfulness to not lie), but they are advocating against negative behavior. Use the following information to identify the principle that relates to your life. Do not attempt to practice all the restraints at the same time, just select one or two that are relevant to your intention.

The first of these is non-violence. Non-violence is an umbrella concept that weaves its way through all the other restraints. We practice non-violence when we refrain from causing distress or harm to other people and to ourselves. In yoga poses, we practice non-violence when we avoid pushing too hard and refrain from being self-critical.

Mary’s Non-violence: In Mary’s situation, her deep-seated belief that she is unattractive reflects low self-esteem and negative self-talk. She constantly compares herself to others in yoga class, and this harmful behavior feeds her low opinion of herself. If Mary can recognize her area of suffering, she can begin to cultivate the opposite in her yoga practice. What would be the opposite of Mary’s self-violence? She would practice yoga with an attitude of self-love, compassion, peace, love, or acceptance.

The second restraint, truthfulness, is that which is pure, honest, and good, and promotes the welfare of all living beings. Truthfulness is free from illusion, judgment, fear, or hatred.

Laura’s Truthfulness: Let us remember Laura, and how she knows in her gut that her lifestyle is no longer what she wants, but in an inactive state, remains a follower of her friends without honoring her truth. In practicing truthfulness and honoring her true needs, Laura might stop going out with the same friends, but would need to remember the common thread of non-violence in the effort to communicate this to them. She would be mindful of not carelessly hurting their feelings in her desire to express the truth. In a yoga practice, she might cultivate the intention of truth, wisdom, self-respect, courage, or honesty, and notice how those virtues affect the way she breathes, moves, thinks, and feels in a yoga pose.

The third restraint, non-stealing, has to do with refraining from taking or desiring something that belongs to someone else, particularly without their permission.

Mary’s Non-stealing: Mary covets the physical beauty of other women in yoga class, while stealing from herself the opportunity for her own inner beauty to shine. Stealing is subscribing to a “poverty mentality.” The Yoga Sutras instruct us to avoid this behavior and abundance will flow through like a current of water. In yoga practice, Mary might identify this tendency and practice the opposite intention of contentment, inner beauty, peace, faith, trust, or abundance.

Moderation, the fourth restraint, is the act of limiting sense pleasures in order to maximize the amount of energy that can be channeled to actions to benefit others and promote self-realization.

Laura’s Moderation: Laura notices that her friends’ careless consumption of alcohol and other pleasure-seeking activities don’t actually make them happy but rather seem to lead to a lot of distraction and suffering. She realizes that in moderating pleasure-based activities, she enjoys a renewed sense of energy and self-understanding. In yoga practice, she might cultivate the intention of balance, non-attachment, focus, or awareness.

The final restraint, non-attachment, refers to greedlessness or voluntary simplicity, acquiring only that which is really essential for life.

Steve’s Non-attachment: Steve realizes that he is trying to be someone he is not in order to impress others and win recognition. Once he lets go of those old beliefs and greed, he reduces a lot of stress in his life. He no longer works excessively to pay for the expensive clothing he thought he needed in order to look good. He begins to have more focus and energy for self-understanding. He realizes that practicing non-attachment to material things brings him lasting joy and a sense of liberation.

Observances (Niyamas)

The observances (niyamas) are the second step of The 8-Fold Path and, with the restraints (yamas), form the foundation of spiritual practice. The observances are positive behaviors, so rather than practicing the opposite as with the restraints, the observances are guidelines for practicing positive intention.

The five observances are governed by the first: purity. On a physical level, you practice purity through healthy food choices, adequate water intake, regular exercise, relaxation, proper hygiene, etc. The cultivation of purity in the mind comes through positive thinking, including healthy choices about what we mentally consume, like the television shows we watch, the music we listen to, and the company we keep. Spiritually, we engage in purity through yoga practice, or through prayer, meditation, inspirational readings, and community activities.

To purify the body in yoga practice, focus on the breath. A complete exhalation eliminates toxins, carbon dioxide, and stale air from the lungs, while inhalation oxygenates the blood throughout the body. Deep breathing promotes relaxation and releases tension. The energetic channels (chakras) are also balanced and cleansed. Purifying yoga practices increase body awareness, resulting in a natural desire to take better care of yourself. With practice, the mind focuses easily and is not distracted by desires or sensory input.

Contentment is the art of appreciating what we have and desiring no more than what is necessary for maintaining our life. It is neither a state of like nor dislike, but simply being and delighting in oneself to radiate inner harmony and love. Contentment is choosing to see the positive in life, others, and oneself. In yoga practice, we can appreciate the body and mind as it is. Balancing poses make us newly grateful for having two legs and feet. Moving the hands reminds us of our appreciation for all they touch, do, create, hold, and heal. Awareness of the breath brings gratitude for the gift of life. Integrate the attitude of contentment into every yoga pose and notice how it affects the experience of the pose.

Discipline, in yogic philosophy, means “to generate light or heat.” This refers to the psychic energy generated by the voluntary practice of various disciplines that purify the body and mind and generate spiritual radiance. Motivation to go to yoga class or commit to home practice finds its original power from discipline. Notice that some poses require more discipline than others. Sun Salutations are a classic example of poses that “raise heat” or encourage a sense of discipline, as are the warrior poses.

The underlying theme of the observances, purity, may be misunderstood as soft and easy. As a result, people may see discipline as being in conflict with the overall goal of purity because of the intensity of discipline. In other words, if we are being harsh and critical in order to maintain discipline, are we practicing purity? When discipline is understood as power or effort, then it becomes the driving force of purifying actions. It is common that childhood experiences bring a penal view of discipline. As adults, it is possible to recognize discipline as a virtue. The Yoga Sutras 2:43 states, “with discipline, impurities are eliminated and perfection gained.” This ultimately coalesces into the development of the subtle senses of intuition, grace, unity, and harmony in the body and in life itself.

Study of self or introspection means self-observation and inquiry without judgment. This behavior provides an opportunity to become aware of the various affects of thoughts and behavior. For example, in practicing introspection, we might notice that eating refined sugar has an energizing effect, followed by a lethargic effect, leaving us feeling cloudy-headed and sleepy. Sometimes, self-study helps us to distinguish between perceptions and reality—we may feel depressed or irritated, but can recognize such an emotion as separate from who we are. In this way, we can respond with a wise understanding from the true Self. Meditation and reflection upon sacred texts offers a chance to learn from others who have gone before us and experienced many of the same life lessons. To read such sources directly offers a chance to connect to the energy and inspiration of those who were divinely inspired. It is sometimes said that when we practice yoga poses, we are practicing with all others who are practicing in that moment, as well as throughout history. In such a way, within each pose, we connect with an ancient wisdom and spiritual energy that increases self-awareness and direct experience with a Higher Reality.

With the final observance, surrender to an infinite reality, letting go is a key action. When we accept that our limited human minds are ultimately not in control of reality, we surrender our ego to a higher principle. Whether we believe it to be the Universe, Higher Self, Nature, God, Goddess, Krishna, Allah, Buddha, or Jesus, this higher principle is a very personal choice. In yoga poses, “letting go” can be practiced while exhaling in poses that release tension. Here we can cultivate faith by learning that the world does not rest on our shoulders or even revolve around us. Going deep into a yoga pose does not come through effort, but through surrender.

Cultivating the Corresponding Opposite Feeling

We now have the tools for recognizing when we are engaging in thoughts and behaviors that do not facilitate healing and growth. To avoid becoming overwhelmed, choose one simple theme to practice. It can be helpful to remember that countering deep-seated tendencies toward negative thinking requires regular and diligent practice. The subconscious mind operates according to suggestions that have been programmed from early childhood, even when they are harmful and cause suffering. These subconscious thought patterns come from parents, friends, teachers, mass media, and other cultural symbols and values. Patanjali, author of The Yoga Sutras, recommends not indulging or rationalizing such negative influences, but rather, cultivating the opposite.

On the other hand, it is worth noting that sometimes it may be necessary to feel a negative emotion. In surrendering to the emotion, you allow a deeper level of understanding to surface. (If this does not occur in time, consult with a counselor.) By sublimating the emotion into a greater good, ask, “What am I supposed to learn from this situation?” A wise woman once said, “Anger is like the force which pushes the tulips from the ground in the springtime.” What is anger trying to tell you to change? How might depression help you take better care of yourself? Perhaps it is telling you to remove yourself from a particular situation. When that is not possible, you can use the opportunity to practice equanimity and non-attachment to negative reactions. An emotion can be acknowledged without giving it control. It’s not that yogis don’t have emotions, but that they understand their emotions very well. Becoming aware of our emotions affects how we respond to circumstances in life.

Steps for Setting Your Intention

Think of two or three personal goals. Let’s say you’d like to improve your health, relationships, and spirituality. Investigate the deeper purpose for the intention in these particular areas. For health, perhaps you think happiness equals losing a little weight, a very common health concern. Be very careful to recognize that a specific physical goal is not the most effective intention. Start to ask yourself why. “Why do I want to lose a few pounds?” The first answer, if you look to the qualities of reality, might be an inactive response based on fear: “I want to lose weight because people will like me more.” Or, “I’m afraid of having a heart attack.”

In their essence, these desires are not bad, they just need to be connected to a deeper intention. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look good or be healthy. The problem is when the desire becomes the intention. Ask yourself why you want to look good. Let’s suppose that your deeper desire is to improve your love life. The spiritual aspect of this desire is love. Follow the intention of love and your yoga practice becomes centered on the giving and receiving of love.

With the example of wanting to lose weight in order to be healthier, again ask yourself why. Perhaps you want to live longer and be there when your children grow older. The reason for losing weight is now a virtue: to help others. The intention of your yoga practice is to become a strong and healthy person in order to serve other people.

All that is required to be successful in setting a deep intention is a little time. Ask why until a virtue is reached. Some common examples of virtues would be love, compassion, peace, joy, service, balance, faith, trust, hope, acceptance, forgiveness, patience, and devotion. Intentions are not limited to these virtues, but these are good examples.

Throughout this book, it is recommended that you study at a yoga studio or community center near you. If you have questions about intention, discuss it with a yoga teacher, trusted counselor, religious leader, or friend.

Steps for identifying intention:

1. Choose an area of your life in which you’d like to set an intention, such as health, relationships, work, family, or spirituality.

2. Within your chosen area of life, create a goal that is important to you. You may immediately identify the goal or it could take more time to figure out exactly what you want it to be. Once you’ve figured it out, write down your goal in clear terms. Try to be as specific as possible (e.g., I want to lose twenty pounds, or I want to volunteer at a women’s shelter). You might have many goals at first, but narrow it down to one to start.

3. Now ask yourself why you want to achieve this goal. Take this answer and ask yourself, once again, why? The first reason you identify will be at a surface level. The second reason will likely be broader and more spiritual. You can repeat this process several times if you wish.

4. If the intention is based on fear or ego, try to go deeper to identify the pure or balanced version of desire. For example, if the reason you initially identify for losing twenty pounds is so that people find you attractive, search within yourself to find a pure intention for losing the weight (yet be mindful that the intention still feels sincere). You might realize that a more meaningful goal would be improving your health. This pure intention would have all sorts of effects, such as feeling stronger and more energetic, which might in turn open up new opportunities in your work and personal relationships. Now that you’ve identified the positive intention of your goal, write it down clearly.

5. When you next practice yoga poses, focus on that intention. Afterward, note any interesting insights or thoughts about the experience in your journal.

6. Finally, write down your intention in bold letters on a bookmark, and use it to keep your place in this book.

As you progress, everything you learn should help you integrate the essence of your intention. The intention may evolve as you study yoga. After a period of time, you will notice that one intention remains consistent for each season or even years.

While I suggest using your original intention for a period of time, know that you can always change your intention. If you’re feeling weak one day, you might adjust your intention to having courage to practice yoga. Or if you’re filled with a deep sense of gratitude, you might hold the intention of offering gratitude to the world through each yoga pose. The most important thing to keep in mind in using intention in your practice is that it is heartfelt and sincere. If your intention doesn’t fit your mood, there’s no point in setting that intention, because it’s not going to serve your practice.

Many students arrive at their intention with great precision but wonder how to apply this intention to yoga poses. Or, the yoga teacher says to “choose an intention for this class” but doesn’t say how to apply this intention. I offer you the image of a chalice, a holy cup. Name this chalice after your present intention. Let the lessons and experiences of your yoga session fill the cup. Let insights related to your intention fill the cup; let the deep feeling of peace fill your cup. Let the inexplicable mystery of spiritual connection fill your cup. Think of your intention as a focus for receiving and enriching your perception of the experience.

Connecting to the Infinite

Now that you have a greater understanding of the power and importance of intention in yoga poses, you will practice yoga in a totally new way. You’ll find that you have greater control over the physical poses through the cultivation of pure (sattvic) intention, and your mind and spirit will become integrated in the process as never before. The restraints provide specific examples of harmful behavior, and by practicing the opposite (your list from Exercise 3 on page 31), we can put a positive virtue in its place. The observances, on the other hand, highlight healthy behaviors to use as a focal point for physical practice.

It goes without saying that the guidelines for cultivating positive intention also apply to how we live our life. Whether or not we recognize them, the underlying intention in all activities and thoughts determines the result. Seen in this way, daily life is like a yoga pose. And, vice versa, yoga poses embody life in that moment. Rather than avoiding the deepest and perhaps most difficult parts of life, we tune in and listen to the callings. Our spirit’s healing potential is allowed to come through and change what needs to be changed. Practicing yoga means continually working toward a pure approach of awareness and acceptance. There is no perfection, just the ever-evolving journey. For this reason, finding like-minded friends and a yoga community is very helpful. We look to the yogic wisdom collected by the masters and practitioners over thousands of years and discover we are not alone and never have been.

Exercises

1. After you read the case studies on intentions, in a sentence or two, write down why you are practicing yoga. Even if the reasons seem selfish, be honest and write them down. The more honest you are, the more relevant and revealing your exploration will be. Some common reasons might be, “I heard yoga will help me get the body I always wanted,” “I need to get rid of my stress,” or “I want to be enlightened.”

2. Now that you have discovered the possible qualities of an intention, how does yours compare to those from the case studies? Take a look at your list of reasons for practicing yoga from Exercise 1 and write down any flaws you see. Perhaps you wanted to fit in with your friends, or maybe you wanted to get in shape. Continue to be honest with yourself, even if you know the “right answers.”

Reflect on how these reasons help or hurt you. Consider each reason individually and ask yourself if it’s beneficial for your body, mind, and spirit. You will very likely find that some of the reasons are preventing you from achieving health and vitality. Use the restraints and observances to redirect your intention for doing yoga, deepening your practice and pointing you toward a more fulfilling life.

3. Look at your list of reasons for doing yoga and identify those that are not aligned with pure intention.

Next, take these misaligned reasons and ask yourself what the source of suffering is behind those reasons. For example, if your reason for practicing yoga is that you want to get a date, your source of suffering might be loneliness. Perhaps you’ve become desperate, anxious, or impatient in your desire to find a partner. Write down the pain that is motivating you to do yoga. Even if you have several improperly aligned reasons for doing yoga, they usually boil down to one or two core sources of suffering. For example, inferiority and a lack of self-confidence, or a feeling of emptiness and not “having enough.”

Now, consider the restraints in relation to your suffering. Which one relates to it the most? In the examples above, inferiority and a lack of self-confidence would relate to the principle of non-violence, and the feeling of not having enough would relate to non-attachment.

Brainstorm positive virtues that represent the opposite of your pain. Write down this virtue; it will be closely related to your intention. Be very subjective with your choice of positive virtue. One person who feels low self-esteem may elect to focus on confidence, while another person will find acceptance powerful. Think deeply about the topic and discover a personal response.

4. In considering the five observances, which one inspires you the most? Perhaps the principle of contentment encourages you to trust that your yoga practice is exactly where it needs to be, even if you can’t contort your body like other students in the class. Or maybe discipline resonates with a need to establish a home yoga practice in addition to going to class. Choose one of the five observances as your intention for practicing yoga, or alternatively, any positive concept that motivates you on a deep level. Take it out for a test drive to see if it resonates in the depths of your soul.

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