What do you choose to turn towards?

I’ve never been a fan of new years resolutions. In the past when I did make them, I always started out super enthusiastic and energized….and then about 4-6 weeks later, whatever goal I set was far from reach and I always felt like a failure.

So I decided a number of years ago that I was no longer going to make new years resolutions, but instead would set new years intentions. An intention is different from a resolution in that resolutions are goals you set and want to achieve, while an intention is something you wish to live by or a quality you wish to cultivate. Intentions acknowledge that to change and make progress is a process which takes time, and it’s not all about the end result.

An intention is a guiding principle for how you want to be in the world.

In my classes this month I am focusing on opening the shoulders and heart space - not just by stretching them, but also by strengthening the back side of the body and shoulder blades to help the body learn that sitting rounded and hunched over a computer is not it’s natural shape.

But in addition to the physical act of opening the heart, I am encouraging my students to open their emotional heart. I am asking them - What do you want to open your heart to? What do you want to turn towards?

The beauty of intentions is they can always change, or one can become more front and center as life ebbs and flows. And that is not giving up or failing, but instead learning to live by our own personal compass.

So I ask you - what is your intention for 2023? What do you choose to live by? And what do you choose to turn towards?