Welcome to day 20 of Insight Timers Intention Setting Challenge.
Setting an intention is making a decision about who you want to be and how you choose to show up.
Over time,
Those choices become change.
Let's begin.
Hello,
And welcome to day 20 of Insight Timers Intention Setting Challenge.
My name is Nedra Glover-Tawab,
And the intention we're focusing on today is around boundaries,
The simple yet necessary limits that keep our life workable.
Most people don't struggle with knowing what boundaries are.
They struggle with honoring them.
We override ourselves to keep the peace,
To avoid conflict,
Or because we've learned to prioritize other people's comfort over our own.
Here's today's intention.
Listen to your inner yes and no.
Find a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down.
Allow your body to settle.
If it feels safe,
Gently close your eyes.
Take a slow breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
Again,
Inhale and release.
Let the day soften around you.
Bring your attention inward to your body.
Notice where you feel supported,
Your feet,
Your seat,
Your back.
Now silently say the word yes.
You're not agreeing to anything specific,
Just noticing.
Observe what happens in your body.
Do you feel openness,
Lightness,
Expansion in your chest or belly?
There's no right sensation,
Just information.
Now gently let it go.
Silently say the word no.
Again,
Notice,
Do you feel grounded?
A tightening or firming?
A sense of protection or steadiness?
Your body communicates before your mind explains.
This is your internal guidance system.
Now bring your attention to one situation where you tend to overextend yourself.
A request you usually say yes to out of habit,
Guilt,
Or pressure.
A moment when your needs come last.
Hold this situation gently without judgment.
Notice what your body does as you imagine being asked again.
Where do you feel the tension,
Urgency,
Obligation?
Now imagine responding from a place of clarity rather than reaction.
Silently rehearse saying,
That doesn't work for me right now.
Or,
I'm not able to take that on.
Or simply,
No.
Let your voice be calm.
Let your tone be respectful.
You don't need to explain or defend.
Notice your body as you say it.
You might feel relief.
You might feel discomfort.
Both are allowed.
Take a breath and let this response settle into your body.
Now imagine a protective container forming around you.
The container represents your time,
Your energy,
And your emotional capacity.
It may look like light,
A gentle wall,
Or a calm but steady presence.
It's flexible but intentional.
This container allows in what aligns with you and holds back what depletes you.
Inside this space you have permission to pause.
To choose.
To decide without rushing.
Silently say,
I am allowed to protect my energy.
I am allowed to say no.
My needs matter.
Take one final deep breath in.
And slowly release.
When you're ready,
Begin to bring your awareness back.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Open your eyes.
Carry this clarity with you.
Your boundaries are not barriers.
They are guides.
