Soulfully Setting Your Intentions

Every January we collectively pause to reflect, reset, and resolve.  Traditionally this is done by creating new year's resolutions which are decisions about something we would like to do or not do differently than we have done before.  It is also something decided up with purpose, will, and determination.  

For years I practiced this by writing in a journal all of my resolutions for the year ahead.  I would do so while practicing presence and tuning inward to sense what I really wanted to achieve or receive.  I realized when I looked back later in the year to these resolutions how many had gone undone, or unresolved, leaving me with feelings of dissatisfaction, disappointment, failure, frustration, and sometimes anger (mostly directed towards myself).  I decided this was not helping me to be the better version of myself I set out to become on January 1st so perhaps it was time to try something different.

Fast forward years later when I decided to stop making and writing New Year's resolutions and instead start setting intentions and manifesting them by meditating about them, writing them down, sharing them and releasing them to the Universe.

I decided to invest the time to set meaningful intentions of what my heart deeply desired and what my soul needed to feel happy, fulfilled, enthusiastic, energized, and enlightened.  The process of setting intentions requires some quality time with oneself, which I will admit I have a hard time making.  

Time is a commodity which we all have limited amounts of, I have learned this the hard way when I have lost loved ones and realized how precious our time here together is.  Since I am a people pleaser I have a tendency to put other's needs in front of my own, especially when it comes to taking care of my inner self.  I have taught myself how to carve out 'me time' every morning for meditation and journaling which are both nourishing practices for my mental and overall well-being.

I started the practice of setting my intentions for the New Year by meditating first in silence which helped me be in the present moment and allowed me to be aware of the thoughts, feelings, and emotions in my mind, body, and spirit.  I find pure silence very calming and to be a great cleanser for me, allowing me to just BE with myself and all of my thoughts.  My mindfulness practice helps me to become aware of those thoughts and feelings without judgement and tune into my spirit or soul so I am able to return to the present moment, or the breath.

The next part of my intention setting ritual is to write down all of the intentions I would like to manifest in the coming year in a journal.  I do this by visualizing how this looks and what it feels like.  Closing my eyes and visualizing details of what my heart desires helps me tap into those things which I would like to experience, do, feel, receive, achieve, and be.  I can see who I am with, where I am, what it looks like, smells like, tastes like, and most of all the positive energy I feel during this visualization.  

The next step is for me to write down all of the feelings this visualization triggered and which ones I would like to feel more of and select the most important one and label it on a jar.  The jar is a vessel for all of my intentions where I will place a small piece of paper written with every intention and feeling I would like to manifest. 

I will refer back to my manifestation journal of intentions as well as my manifestation jar on a regular basis to check in with where I am at.  I will reconnect with the energy from which I created these intentions through my meditation practice and tap into that soulful energy to continue taking steps to manifest my heartfelt intentions.  I will allow my soul to guide me in this process and celebrate when I make progress and recognize when I am starting to see and feel my intentions manifesting.  I will be grateful and thankful when I am able to recognize this happening and practice gratitude in my heart in that moment.  

Namaste,

JPC