Intention Sending

Intention sending or holding involves willing a positive outcome for ourselves or others. It’s closely associated with prayer and may be combined with lovingkindness (mettā) meditation. The power of intention has been extensively researched and is most effective when its focus is clear and specific.

Transcript

Introducing intention sending and intention holding, Essentially the same thing. And here we are talking about carrying out the practice individually, Although it can be carried out within a so-called paravate circle. That's a term that was coined by the writer Lynn McTaggart, Who with various collaborators conducted extensive research involving thousands of people over many years, In fact, That found the effectiveness of this method. Holding intention. Particularly in a small circle, But it can be also very effective when done so individually. For those people of faith, This is akin to if you like the nub of a prayer, It is a desire for something to be heard. We're doing essentially is we're sending a vibration, If you like, Out into the universe. In fact, That is a very simplistic way of looking at things. And there are theories around so-called entanglement, Which is a principle from quantum physics that may explain what's really going on. But in terms of visualizing, We can imagine that what we're doing is we are sending a vibration that expresses our desire, Our real genuine feelings. Always respecting where other people are concerned, Free will. So we are appealing to the hearts and minds of others. For them to be moved, To be stirred, To have, As it were, Their hearts and minds opened to something else, If indeed other people are the target, As it were, The object of our intention. So the starting point is to be very clear about what it is that you want to communicate, Very specific. And very direct, Sending a very clear message. So this is very much activity that will go on typically in the mind. And with this beginning to form a very clear picture, A very clear vision of the potential outcome. Process then is to become very grounded. This is where we need to spend some time meditating typically to check how our body is, To check our connection with the physical ground and to bring our attention from the often busy area of the mind way down actually into the belly. And to really feel the the yearning to have a sense of all the feelings associated with this intention, This desire. When you get to the point of feeling quite strongly to this, Then allowing your attention to turn to the object, The target, If you like, For the intention. So the individuals, Or it may indeed be yourself, Or it may be for something to happen in mother nature. And continuing to feel, Ideally with a degree of intensity, This feeling as it's projected outward. So we are imagining, If you like, Sending this intention directly to its target. And visualising its impact. The only other part involved here is simply to trust the process. Communicating our message, We let it go. And quite gently come back into our normal state. So it is a practice that very often is best combined with particular forms of meditation. I tend to combine it with loving-kindness meditation where we are inviting happiness for ourselves. For Karuna we're inviting compassion. A desire for freedom from suffering, And then with both of those loving-kindness and karuna, Willing that for others as well. So this idea of receiving, Going from the mind into the body and then sending this desire. This vibration, If you like, This felt experience on its way.