JenYoga!, Author at Jennifer Reis Yoga

Heart’s Intention Statement vs Resolution

by JenYoga! | Jan 4, 2016 | Yoga Wisdom & Inspiration

Goals and resolutions – like New Year’s resolutions – have deadlines which, if they are not met can make us feel like we’ve failed. Our efforts can backfire, making us feel not better but worse. Or, using the example of resolving to lose weight, it may be accomplished, but we might not find what we were genuinely after, like to ‘feel healthy, happy and free’, and the weight comes back on anyway. Studies prove that New Year’s resolutions fail more than they succeed.

Setting ‘Intention’ is different. Intention has a deeper, more underlying effect on who we are and how we live our lives and can affect real change.

Intention, called ‘Sankalpa’ in Sanskrit, is an ancient yogic practice that is more akin to prayer and surrender, and less like making a goal or a resolution like a New Year’s resolution. Rather than setting a relative goal like ‘losing 10 pounds’, we are attempting to look beneath the desire to lose weight (or what you are desiring to change) to find what your heart is longing for. This is usually something deeper and more universal. For example, what could be underlying the desire for weight loss is actually the desire ‘to feel healthy, happy and free’. This is your Heart’s Intention Statment Sankalpa!

When you find your Heart’s Intention Statement, say it as the truth to yourself aloud and silently three times or more during the day, something like: “I am healthy, happy and free in every moment.” State your Intention, then let it go… When you get out of the way you surrender your intention to the greater forces within yourself and the universe to bring it to fruition.

The wonderful thing is, you do not work at an Intention — it works on you! There is no need to set a deadline for it, for your Intention will manifest when the time is right. Trust in the process. State it – leave it – and receive it. The great mystery will bring it to you. Intention brings greater transformation and has a longer lasting effect than our efforts towards goal setting.

MAKE A CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE – HERE’S HOW

When you want to make change in your life, or you are seeking your deeper wisdom, rest your hands on your heart and listen to the voice of your heart to uncover what you are truly seeking because there might be something underneath a primary desire. Take time with your heart…

From your heart’s wisdom, create your intention statement based on your heart’s message – in positive words and present tense. Something like:

“I am whole and complete exactly as I am.”

State your ‘Heart’s Intention Statement’ throughout your day silently and out loud three or more times.

3 KEY TIMES TO PRACTICE YOUR HEART’S INTENTION

During Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra: repeat your Heart’s Intention Statement during that part of the practice. And you can also weave in key words from your statement throughout the practice through your body and breath, stating your words silently within.
While WALKING: in the house, to the car, to work, walking the dogs, and so on. Try coordinating your intention statement with your footsteps and breath – for example, step left “I live”, step right “in love”.
With a MUDRA: Choose a hand mudra to practice with your Heart’s Intention statement. There are many mudras to choose from in this blog. You can practice your mudra with your Heart’s Intention Statement anytime your find yourself sitting, such as before a meal, or at your desk, in yoga postures, and during other times and activities during the day – it’s a wonderful reset break.

PRACTICING HEART’S INTENTION STATEMENT in Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra

Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation and a very powerful tool for creating change within yourself. One of the 8-stages of this practice helps you to find your heart’s longing and create your statement. Because you are in a higher meditative mind-state during meditation, it can help to open the doorway for you to both hear, and be transformed, by your heart’s inherent wisdom. Your Heart’s Intention can descend deep within you as a seed that is able to root, receive nourishment and blossom into positive changes within you and your life!

Join Jennifer to create your Heart’s Intention in the yoga and yoga nidra CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, SERIES, RETREATS and TRAININGS.

Your Inner Healing Spring

by JenYoga! | Nov 18, 2015 | Five Element Yoga®, Relaxation + Sleep, Yoga Wisdom & Inspiration

Healing Is Already Within You

Jennifer Reis

Radiant Being Newsletter, March 1, 2015

At this moment, I can’t help but long for the days of Spring! It always seems to begin too slowly for me, however the longer days with more light are something to celebrate. Also worth celebrating is your body’s inner healing Spring. Did you know that your whole being is always attempting to heal and balance itself in every moment? Each of us contains the seeds of health and wellness — if this was not true, you would not be alive now, for healing is always at work with trillions of momentary tasks to maintain your body’s homeostasis and help you to thrive!

It’s empowering to know that with or without your effort or even knowledge, your innate healing force is at work. Trust that your simple choices throughout the day have the power to support and enhance your inner healing Spring assisting the healing movement that’s already at work. It’s as easy as choosing Balance.

Imbalance in body, energy, mind or the inner five elements means that your body is working hard just to bring yourself back into equilibrium again. Just like getting your tires aligned so that the wheels run smoothly without wearing and tearing, it’s important to do as much as you can to stay balanced so that your body need not work as hard, and can focus on greater health. You can make choices that free up your healing energy for larger tasks within.

Choosing balance does not require a lot of time. Rather it requires awareness. An awareness of how you are doing things, and how they make you feel throughout your day. Keep asking yourself, “Is what I’m about to eat, read, do, say, or practice going to bring balance? Or will it throw me off balance?”

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras tell us that ‘awareness heals’. Isn’t that amazing? So often we imagine we need to do something and work so hard to get anything in return. The wisdom of yoga lets us know the first and most important step is the noticing. My favorite yoga and meditation practices all have the intention of cultivating awareness at their core.

A few practices that can help train your ability to witness are:

Meditation – awareness of breath or other focal points.
Divine Sleep Yoga Nidra – awareness of all levels of being (koshas) including body, energy, mind/emotions, wisdom/witness, and bliss.
Kripalu Yoga – focus is on maintaining Witness Consciousness throughout yoga postures and breathing.
Five Element Yoga – awareness of each inner element — Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether — as the building blocks of your body.