Intention Setting for Beginners

In the spiritual and holistic community, manifestation and intention setting are common concepts that may seem confusing if you've never encountered them before. Here's a breakdown for some basic intention setting!

We all have things we want in life--to be healthier, a better job, a better relationship. But often times, we may not know where to start in order to make things happen. Intention setting is a great way to put those good vibes into the universe and manifest your dreams into reality. This is something you can do on your own, with a friend, or in a group setting.

Find yourself a calm, quiet space to relax. Take a minute to settle in, take some deep breaths, and reflect on your dreams and goals. Who and/or what do you want to be? What do you want in life? Focus on one or two of these ideas and start to imagine all the little details. (Make sure these thoughts are about you, and not someone else. This is time for self-love!) Keep these thoughts positive, and add feeling to them. While it's wonderful to be ambitious, please keep in mind that these should be realistic and attainable.

Now write down these intentions on a piece of paper. Don't worry if you need to rewrite them until it's worded the way you want that's totally fine! Writing these intentions down helps the subconscious mind work a little faster. (Just like writing notes when studying in school!) Keep it simple, yet detailed.

Here's a few examples of well written intentions:

"I intend to weigh 120 pounds by September 30th."

"I intend to find my career fun and exciting."

"I intend to find a partner who is caring, has a secure job, has blue eyes and blonde hair, and loves cats."

Notice that each of these examples sends a clear, positive message. There's no room for wishy-washy misunderstandings between you and the universe.

BONUS: Add "or something better" to the end of each intention! Sometimes we don't really know what's best for us and there's more out there than we realize. Saying "or something better" give the universe permission to grant us these gifts.

Sit with these intentions in your mind for a minute. Say them aloud or in your head 10 times. Now you can either keep these written intentions with you, or if you have a safe space to do so, burn them and release them to the universe.

That's it! That's basic intention setting. :)