Sometimes, you may hear your instructor tell you to “set an intention” or to “move with intention.” What does that mean? How do you set an intention? How do you move with intention? What is the difference between intending to do something and doing it intentionally?

Intention v. Intentional

An intention is a goal or objective. At the beginning of your yoga practice, you may set an intention for that particular practice. Examples would be “I will focus on matching my breath to my movement” or “I will let my body tell me what it needs today.” You may even be already setting intentions for your life outside of your practice, “I will drink more water” or “I will read more books.” Intentions are a great way to give yourself purpose and to help you focus on what you would like to achieve.

So, is there a difference between setting an intention and being intentional? 

Yes.

Intention is a noun. It is a thing. There is no action involved, whereas to be intentional is to act. Take the examples above, in order to meet the intention of matching your breath to your movement, you have to intentionally focus on your breath and your movement. In order to read more books you have to intentionally choose a book and set aside reading time. 

Connecting With Body and Mind

In yoga, Barre, and Pilates, movement is very intentional. You are encouraged to move your body with purpose, to engage your muscles in specific ways. Not only does this build strength and stamina, it also trains your brain to work intentionally and builds connection between your mind and body.

In our modern world we are driven to be consistently “multitasking.” To consume noise and content. We scroll while waiting, we are always available for notifications, and we think about how we can make content from what we are doing rather than just be intentionally in the activity. We go through the motions of our lives rather than really experiencing them. When we begin to change our mindset from “how much can I do” to “how intentional can I be,” we find focus and connection. We get to know ourselves, the people around us, and the world we live in. 

At Effin’ Yoga we encourage you to join us for intentional movement and to find other places in your life where you can practice being intentional.