Align yourself with intention - 20-30 mins

Living a mindful life requires intention. We set an intention to slow down, pause, and be present — to care for ourselves so we can show up for our loved ones. We set an intention to fill our lives with the good and the peaceful.

An intention is not to be confused with a goal, as there is no tangible outcome or destination. It’s more of an alignment with the way you want to feel, the way you want to behave, and how you want to experience your day to day.

We guess you could call it an ‘anchor’ of sorts. Ground you back to what truly matters to you - especially as you get caught in the throes of everyday life and find yourself feeling unaligned.

An intention could be set for the day ahead, or it could be for a period of time. it could be that you want to feel calm and grounded when you know you have a stressful day ahead, or it could be that you want to feel gratitude more prominently in your life.

An example intention:

‘Today I will be present, and do all things mindfully. If I find myself getting caught in my thoughts, I will gently guide myself back to the present moment.’

In this Retreat Ritual, you’ll be setting an intention for the next little while, whether that be the next day, week or even season ahead.

Feelings: Feel aligned, feel inspired.

Time required: 20-30 minutes.

What you’ll need: A pen and paper.

Instructions:

1. Find somewhere quiet to sit, undisturbed.
2. Firstly decide what period of time you’re setting your intention for. Is it for the day ahead, or is it for the coming season?
3. Start to think about how you want to align yourself and your life. How is it that you want to feel?
4. Write an intention down on your piece of paper. Then put it somewhere so you can see it every day. Write it on your mirror with a whiteboard marker (or lipstick!), pin it on the fridge, or set it as your phone screensaver. Put it somewhere you’ll see and remember, so that you can continually be guided back into alignment.
5. Feel comfort in knowing you are living your life with intention, and that you'll always have a guide back to you.