Connecting To Purpose On Your Mat.

I believe we set intentions in our yoga practice as a means of getting connected. Connected to purpose as to why on Earth we show up onto our mats. Whether it is in a yoga studio, at a park, in our living room, in an airport, at our hotel room or out on our patio decks. We show up on our mats time and time again.

Why?

Clearly, something must be working if we continue to systematically show up for the universe like we do when we step into an asana practice. What are we seeking? The answer will usually give you a good idea of what your intention is. Every time you step onto your mat, you are a new person.

You come from different circumstances each day—different conversations, parking scenarios, conference calls, relationships evolving. You are new every time you step onto your mat. It’s like you and your mat never met before—but there is a sense of déjà vu.

I’ve been here before. This is where I am supposed to be. 

So one day I walk into teach my 6:00 Wednesday evening Vinyasa class and I give every student a pen and post-it note. With Ong Sung Hung by The Guru Singh Experience playing in the background, I asked them a question:

“Why are you here? What do you want? Write it down on your post-it note. It can be a word, an image, a phrase. It can be indecipherable to anyone but you. Put it at the top of your yoga mat. You can place it face-down if you aren’t ready to share it with the world. You can place it face-up if you’re ready to receive this thing that you are seeking. Either way, you are putting it out into the universe. You are setting your intention.”

Then, I asked the group to come into child’s pose. At the end of the class I asked if everyone would share their intentions and stick them to the wall in the stairwell. Many intentions were similar. I repeated the exercise on Saturday morning at nine a.m. They added their post-it notes to the wall, too.

So if you are wondering why 74 of my students practice yoga, here are their intentions as they wrote them down word for word:

Why do you practice?

Like elephant yoga on Facebook.

~

Editor: Kate Bartolotta