Hello and welcome.
This practice will be a short intention setting practice.
It's often one that can be incredibly beneficial to do at the beginning of the day as you look forward to the experiences that are likely to come.
You're also welcome to do this before any particular experience in the middle of the day or the evening.
Just setting your intention to show up embodied with certain traits and characteristics that marinate the mind and the goodness of who we want to be and set ourselves up for the greatest chance of success.
You're welcome for this practice to keep a journal beside you in order to take notes or to let this be more of a meditation than a contemplation.
And regardless of what you choose,
Making your way to begin the practice towards a comfortable seat.
As you arrive,
Finding a sense of upliftedness through the spine and through the body.
Telling yourself here that you're awake and alert.
This practice is important enough to give your attention toward.
Let's take three conscious breaths here together just as an invitation to draw all of our attention into this present moment.
And so as you inhale,
You might imagine gathering the tendrils of your attention from all the places you've been.
And as you exhale,
Sighing that attention and awareness into the visceral aliveness of the body.
So let's take one more breath this way.
Inhaling and gathering your attention.
And exhaling,
Falling awake into the aliveness of your body.
Let your breath return to a natural rhythm.
And having a felt sense of the body and space.
Feeling those contact points between the body and the earth through your chair,
Your cushion.
Noticing the gentle way the body's moving naturally with breath.
So here becoming grounded in just what's alive for you in your body in this moment.
As we move towards the practice of intention setting,
I'll invite you that you can really engage with this practice in two different ways.
And so just finding what feels most connected and readily accessible to you.
And the first is you might imagine yourself sitting in a movie theater.
And the movie you're going to watch today is of you and your experience to come for the rest of the day.
Another way to engage with the practice is imagining sort of that video game experience,
The third person perspective.
And so in this way,
You might cut the roof off all the buildings that you'll be contained inside of.
And watch your little character move,
Moving through your day and having the experiences you anticipate to come.
So let's start by just choosing which one of these feels most accessible.
Start to call to mind if you can,
Three or four,
Maybe five experiences that you anticipate having throughout your day.
And again,
If you're using this practice to set the intention for one particular experience,
Of course,
Just bring that one to mind.
This practice is a morning intention ritual.
I'd encourage you to consciously choose experiences that you anticipate or expect might be difficult.
You might already feel some resistance toward.
Let them be a part of this practice as well.
And as you decide on your list,
We'll begin by calling this first experience to mind and heart.
And so whether you're sitting in the movie theater or watching your character on the video game screen,
See if you can imagine yourself having this experience that you know is to come.
This is the beautiful and powerful part of this practice.
As you're watching your character move through this experience,
Inviting the curiosity of how the most idealized version of yourself would experience this moment.
Maybe another way to frame the question is how do you want to experience this moment?
How do you want to feel,
Engage with,
And interact with this experience that you know is to come?
And as you watch yourself on the movie screen or the video game character having the experience,
Can you begin to feel inside of your own body the way this most idealized version of you feels inside the experience?
What do you notice?
How does the heart feel?
What characteristics or attitudes does this idealized version of you embody?
Are they more playful,
Curious?
Are they resilient and tender so that as difficulty shows up,
It rolls right off of them?
Is there a sense of open-heartedness,
Of joy,
Of deep and profound connection?
And can you actually connect to the felt sense of whatever's showing up for you here in your own body?
And the beauty of this practice is that as you feel this in your body,
As you see yourself engaging in your life in this way,
We have the capacity to acknowledge that we are all ready that most idealized version of self.
If you can see it and feel it,
It is already you.
So this is the intention setting to show up for yourself and to your life as this piece of you that you know is already here.
You're already capable of showing up this way.
So setting your intention through the visceral experience to arrive from this heart space,
From this mind.
If you have a journal with you,
You're welcome to write down those characteristics that you wish to embody.
When it feels good to you and in your own time,
We'll let the visualization of this experience dissolve or fade into the backdrop.
And start calling to mind and heart whatever comes up next for you.
Again,
Seeing yourself on the screen or in the video game character moving through this experience.
Again,
With that intentional curiosity,
How do you want to feel in the midst of this experience?
What's your deep desire for the way in which you show up?
Feeling that in your body,
Noticing how this version of you physically moves through the experience,
How do you hold space?
And again,
You're welcome to jot down these characteristics or these traits that are coming up for you.
The invitation from here is to continue this practice for as many experiences as you'd like to set your intention for.
There's no right or wrong number.
But in whatever time it comes naturally to you to close this practice,
I'll invite you to end just by acknowledging the felt sense of your own heart.
Maybe bringing the subtle shape of a smile to the corners of your mouth,
The upliftedness at the corners of the eyes.
And just offering yourself an acknowledgement of gratitude for taking the time to marinate yourself in this goodness right here.
And after each one of these experiences that you've set your intention toward,
Take a moment to pause and reflect on how you actually showed up.
Notice the power of intention and carry it with you throughout your day.
Thank you for being here.
Namaste.
