Live Your Intention

[Kandi Phillips]

What does live your intention mean to you? Think about this for a moment…. What does intention mean? Intention is the act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result. So in other words, a simple act created by our mental mind creates an action. This is pretty powerful because as you sit and read this publication, you are already creating an action. Where am I getting with this you might ask? Maybe you already know this, but are you really taking advantage of something so simple that could change your life with a positive outcome?
Scientists have been conducting studies for years on this very word, “intention” and our thoughts. So what have they found? Well it’s pretty impressive to the point that it has now been scientifically proven that our thoughts do affect our actions and everyone or everything around us. However, they have also found that the effect of mind on matter suggest that intention has variable effects that depend on the state of the person, the time, and the place where they originate. Research also suggests that the power of an intention multiplies if large groups of people are thinking the same thought at the same time. Intention seems to work as if we are tuning forks resonating in the universe at the same frequency. Experimental evidence does suggest, that to be most effective, you must train your mind just as an athlete would train the muscles. This would explain why intentions do not come forth if you only slightly intend it for a few moments and then let it go.

Athletes routinely practice mental rehearsal of focused intention to enhance their level of performance and consistency. In 1990, the National Academy of Sciences declared that the brain uses “dual coding” to process verbal and nonverbal information simultaneously. The technique of using mental intention and verbal rehearsal together raises the intent at a higher level, again much like a tuning fork. Successful athletes break down their performances into tiny component parts and work on improving to the point of a flawless performance. Muhammad Ali was a master of intention as he was fighting the fight in his head. He developed a set of mental skills by using every self-motivational technique such as: affirmation, visualization, mental rehearsal, self-confirmation, and verbal as we all know it, “I am the greatest.” Ali was well known at making public statements of his intentions, which reaffirmed his intention in front of a large group. The intentions he sent were on a broad range with large groups through public interviews, verbally through rhymes or mantras that he would repeat, and to his entire body through visualization. Through it all, his body responded by following orders. Set aside that Ali was a great boxer, but the fact that he was using the power of intention to create reality, is amazing.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi introduced a group study of intention called the Maharishi Effect of Transcendental Meditation ™ in the 1960’s. This organization has conducted over 500 studies of group meditation, both with or without intention, to examine whether meditation would effect the reduction of conflict and suffering. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi found that regular practice of TM enabled a person to be more in touch with energy fields that connect to all things. Group meditations large enough caused a “Super Radiance” as everyone became tuned to the same frequency. In 1993, Washington, DC was the focus of TM during a time that violent crime had surged within the city. The violent crime fell and continued to fall during the experiment once the group reached a threshold number of 4,000. This study demonstrated that Super Radiance group intention changed crime without any other factors such as police efforts. However, after the group left the city, the crime rate rose again.

There have been many books and articles written about the power of intention, but once read, we put the book down and get back to our everyday mundane lives. Walk the dog, go to work, drive the kids to practice or recitals, laundry, shopping, well the list is never ending and I could write an entire paragraph on this. We all know that we have to do these things but they are things that we think about in past or future tense, not in the present moment. If we just take the time to quiet the mind, we would be more open to opportunities that have always been right in front of us or possibly where we least expect them.

Conditioning your space magnifies the effectiveness of your intentions. An example would be a place where you would feel most comfortable such as you’re home or a room within your home. Clearing out extra items that do not serve you or clutter the mind, in other words, you would not want to see laundry or piles of paper that act as a reminder of what you need to do. Use soft furnishings, cushions, candles, soft lights, incense, and meditative music. Altars are wonderful in creating a focal point of pictures, objects, or inspirational items that bring your focus to the current moment. Nature is a great way to connect to the grounding energy of earth, which reminds us to slow down. If you are in your home open the windows for fresh air or run water whether in a bath or a water fountain.

Now that you have your space in place, you will have an intention area that you can visit each day. Everyone should have a space, even children and teens. Be mindful each day, when you are away from your space, of the little things like brushing your teeth, getting your mail, or driving. Before stating your intentions, be thankful for your day; be specific and actually visualize your intention. Be creative and come up with a phrase or mantra that you can say throughout the day. Remember everything that Ali did with intentions, he lived his intentions, and so can you.

Kandi Phillips
Awaken Your Space, LLC
www.AwakenYourSpace.com

Read more of our blogs or ask a question in our forum.

Upcoming Workshops:
Live Your Intention - March 24 - May 26, 2009
Intro to Feng Shui - March 26, 2009

[Sheila Murrey]

Kandi, thank you sooo much for connecting with me and I definitely want to attend one of your upcoming workshops!

I am pursuing my hearts passion right now so finding your blog "Live Your Intention" today for me, happened at just the right time. :)

I have watched Wayne Dyer on PBS discussing his book on Intention and I do believe that Intention is very powerful. I think it's possible though that I've been so distracted (my whole life?) that I've missed something else that key to the process. Along with Intention, I think we have to know what our passion is and I'm learning from Ram Giri's works / discussions that I need to search my heart.

For instance, when I was a single mom my Intention was to put food on the table and roof over my two children's heads. I was bitter, angry in fact for years that my ex husband had bought a house (just one small example) and I could only afford to rent - never had any savings so no way could "I" buy my kids and I a house. That sort of thing. I Intended to earn a good living so eventually, through years of work and education I commanded what I thought was a decent salary. However, because my money blueprint had been "set" (according to the book on money by T. Harv Eker) well, I never got ahead really and felt I was on a kind of "money exercise wheel" you know, like an exercise wheel that a hamster runs on. So, I got the kids raised, eventually I did buy a house via some fortunate events but that didn't happen til both kids were really ready to move out and on with their lives. (Naturally it's a long story - isn't everyone's?)

Point being, doing the EFT work I've done lately, which opened up to me a lot of old "stuff" that I needed to acknowledge, let go of, etc and then studying various wonderful teachings, I now FINALLY feel I am at this beautiful miraculous point in my life that I can put all of my experience, and new found insights into being! I feel sometimes my heart is going to come right out of my chest because I feel like this is the best time in my life!

I believe my heart is leading me into a place where I can purse a life long avocation of mine, which is to be a promoter. And I'm being open to that as a vocation, as well as doing things I love which are technical / creative and that have a true purpose.

Now, as long as I follow my heart, I believe my Intention will bring me to my best self. I'm on a journey of the heart I guess you could say.

Love and Light,
Sheila

[Shannon Burnett]

You go girl!!! I am very grateful to have you in our office and life at Conscious Living Partnership. You are the best......