When we decide to do something or cultivate a quality in ourselves we set ourselves an intention. This lets our body and mind know that we’re serious about it, we make it a conscious choice. This can be deciding to practice every day, it could be having more patience with ourselves, it could be letting go of something unhelpful to us or cultivating an attitude of contentment, gratitude, awareness, peacefulness, self care etc.
By taking a moment to focus on this intention when we come to practice yoga we allow the intention to sink in. As we calm our bodies and minds and return to the intention it can sink deeper into our subconsciousness and affect our attitudes and mental states both on and off the mat.
As it’s an intention rather than a rule, it’s ok if we fall short sometimes – we’re not perfect. We accept this, bring a kind attitude to it and move on with our intention still in place. By holding our intention in this attitude of positivity we will shape the way we develop.