Week 2 ~ Intention

Welcome to week two, eNergizer!

Well, you’ve officially crossed the bridge of week 1 where we explored breath in the body and the energy of the heart that emits from the body… as you step onto land you might feel a little fuzzy, a little confused… you’re not quite sure what’s going on or why you’re doing it. And that’s great! You, me - WE - are all learning to step into the unknown, and trust that our sensory abilities can help guide us. We do this each and every day (maybe without being aware of it) in the moments that make each day unique from the one before it, or the ones that are yet to come.

If you’re feeling a little woozy after crossing this metaphorical bridge, go ahead and have a seat, look back at the past week, and assess what this information means for you. Do your inhales tend to constrict you? Do you have a hard time letting go of your exhales? Was it all just a nonsensical fun time? Notice how you approached something as simple as your breath. Where can you see some parallels with your reaction to your breath, and your reactions to other events in your life? No judgement, no need to label as good or bad. Just notice. Pose theses questions to yourself, and sit quietly for answers that feel true in your gut.

Now we start to put some of what we learned about our breath into practice. As we introduce asana (poses) and vinyasa (flow) in your solo body time this week, we’re going to explore the idea of intention. If this is a new and foreign concept to you, don’t fret. If it’s an old concept to you, you’ll have the opportunity to spend some time thinking about what you’ve been intending lately, and if your actions are lining up, and in sync with your heart.

Practicing Intention with attention

As you begin your practice each day, first take at least 1-2 minutes to just breathe, slowly and mindfully. This allows our thoughts to settle, our bodies to sync up with our brain, and allows us to set intentions from a more truthful place for where we are in our lives in this moment, without attachment to the past, or anticipation of the future.

If you’re more into science-speak, this slow, mindful breath helps to balance the relationship between our sympathetic nervous system and our parasympathetic nervous system. These two components make up the “two halves that make the whole” of our autonomic nervous system, which is the part of our brain that sends signals to our vital organs, keeping us alive all day and all night without us even having to think about it.

THINK ➡️ FEEL ➡️ GO

First, when we learn anything, we need to understand it mentally. This is the outer cortex of the brain where learning happens and familiarity is built.

After enough repetition, we start to let go of basic structure and form (do this with my hand, leg goes here), and we are able to settle our attention and focus on feeling and sensation, awakening the limbic system in the brain.

After many repetitions, when we become SO familiar with a sequence that we no longer have to think about it, we can simply trust our body to move where it knows to move, go past even feeling and sensation, and focus entirely on our breath.

Use these tracks in repetition as needed to get very familiar with this basic flow in your body. If you find you are ready to move faster, start to go on your own, following the rhythm of your breath.

If you do nothing else in this course,

please practice the 12-min sequence below every day. Tell me you don’t feel a significant difference in 8 weeks!

Practice Content

Music to go with your practice - curated by calley

Find me on Apple Music to follow me, and find the playlist I built intended to go with this sequence!

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Week 2 Playlist

Why Apple Music?

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