What Is “intention”?

We hear lots of chat in the spiritual community about “intention setting” and that “intention is everything”.

Most would have you believe that intention setting is merely stating what you intend to do or achieve before you set out on a task. Perhaps writing this down on a piece of paper or repeating affirmations.

And yes, I agree this will work - but only to a point.

Then just to confuse you even more, I would also argue that you can achieve your desired outcome without setting intentions.

Allow me to explain where I’m coming from…

My understanding of intention setting and the way I use this in my own spiritual practices and everyday life is by being consciously aware of whatever it is I’m doing or hoping to achieve.

EMBODYING my desired outcome. FEELING it in my body. VISUALISING it in my mind. This is what makes intention setting potent.

Obviously, I’m human and this is not always possible because… well, life! However, the difference is distinctly noticeable when I’ve taken the time to consciously connect to the task I’m undertaking.

When you can bring your awareness into the preparation and act, this is where the magic happens and your desired outcome will be more likely to occur.

This is an example of how I would set intentions and then embody the process:

Let’s say I’m going to cook a meal. I’ve already set the intention that I’m going to cook a meal just by making that decision.

I’m most likely not even aware that I’ve set an intention (hence the previous comment about not needing to set intentions). But how I approach the rest of the process will determine whether the meal is mediocre or mouth watering!

Before I even look at a recipe or pull ingredients out of the pantry, I like to clear my energy through visualisation.

This practice opens me up to “feeling” into the process intuitively rather than just going through the motions.

It connects me to my body, brings me into the moment but also connects me to my higher consciousness.

Next I clear the physical space, putting away any clutter and wiping down surfaces.

All the while, thinking about how delicious the food will be, how much my family are going to enjoy eating it and how full my heart will feel from providing delicious food for them all.

My thoughts are key here. They are backing up how I intend the meal to turn out. This also keeps me in the moment, focussed (I’m so easily distracted!).

As I put the ingredients together, I’m using my physical senses to further embody the task.

I smell the delicious aromas of the ingredients. I methodically peel, chop and pour, noticing the weight of the utensils in my hand. I hear the sound of the knife cutting into the vegetables, I feel the heat of the steam on my arm as I stir the pot.

As I clean, I feel gratitude for the kitchen, for the ingredients, for the dishwasher! Being fully immersed in the task at hand.

And, of course my mind will wander off. But anytime I notice, I bring my thoughts back to what I’m doing in the moment.

It’s my own version of a “wakened meditation”.

I know this may seem like a bit of a faff but I can assure you, it’s the best way to see your intentions come to fruition.

EMBODY the process. FEEL into each step towards the desired outcome with every fibre of your being.

Using your body and mind in tandem to intentionally manifest your most desired outcome.

Give it a try and let me know how you get on!