Setting Your Intention

Often I will begin a practice by asking my students to take a moment to set their intention for their practice. They may be focusing on being present or their pranayama or their balance. It's different for everyone, everyday. But I go on to explain that it's not just coming into a posture that makes in beneficial. It's the intention behind the posture that makes it truly transformative.

Now I tell you this to explain how setting your intentions behind your actions can, not only benefit you, but the people around you.

Earlier this month, I was heading to the dry cleaners. As I neared the shop, I noticed that all of the on street parking spaces were free. I felt like I had hit the jackpot! You see, my daughter had just fallen asleep and I didn't want to wake her. So I began to ease into the spot directly in front of the door of the dry cleaners where my daughter would be visible to me as I dropped my stuff at the counter.

Then came the obnoxious honk from the driver behind me. HOOONK, HONK. The honk clearly said, "Get the hell out of my way, you loser! I know that you saw me behind you! Pull the f$@! up!"

I looked in the review mirror and reluctantly pulled forward so that the Honker could come in behind me. This, of course, meant that I would now need to wake my poor kid and drag her into the shop with me.

As I got out of the car, I took a good look at my Honker. It was one of my yoga students! And boy, was she embarrassed. And then even more embarrassed when I explained that I didn't want to wake my baby. Suddenly, she was no longer in a rush and offered to stand by my car while I took my clothes into the shop.

What was most interesting is that she said, "I never would have done that if I had known it was you. Oh my! I was being so rude. I just couldn't figure out why you weren't pulling forward. But I really wouldn't have done that if I'd known."

I laughed and said, "I felt your intention behind that honk. You really laid into it. I realized that my actions were frustrating you. So I moved. But a simple 'toot, toot' would have sufficed."

Now if I had been a stranger, both of us would have been a bit more salty because of the intention behind her actions. As it stood, she was embarrassed and I got a good chuckle out of the situation. We can never know what's around the corner or why someone is doing what appears to be a strange and confusion thing. Err on the upside, set your intentions with a little help from your Higher Self. Treat everyone like you would if you knew them, the latitude you offer can only come back to you.