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On Sunday night we kicked off the release of our new book, The Well Life, with a community gathering in Boulder. We told the story of how this book came about, read some excerpts, helped everyone develop intention statements for their lives, and taught the group a body-shaking qi gong exercise.
It was a touching experience of support for us. We’re grateful for everyone who showed up. We actually saw a difference in people’s energy from going through those short processes, and we would love to share that with the world.
Here’s an abbreviated version of our intention process that you can try on your own.
First we asked everyone to write down an intention statement – something you’d like to bring into being. We advise always people to phrase their intention statement in the positive. So, rather than “I won’t eat junk food anymore,” you might go with a statement like, “I feed my body only healthy foods.” We also advise avoid trigger words. For instance, if you’re trying to quit smoking, words and mental images of smoking may trigger you. So, instead of “I don’t smoke cigarettes anymore,” you might use wording such as “I breathe only pure air into my healthy lungs.”
We also recommend starting your intention statement with words that are easy for your mind to accept. Whereas “I have a million dollars in the bank” or “I am rich and prosperous” may elicit some cognitive dissonance if the simple fact is that you’re currently poor, a statement such as “I allow myself to receive a million dollars this year” or “I intend to be rich and prosperous” is harder for your mind to argue with. Go with words such as “I choose…,” “I intend…,” or “I allow…”
Once you have a statement that feels good, it’s valuable to release any resistance you may have to this intention. One way we like to do this is through the body. Every thought is expressed through the body, and when you make your intention statement, if you tune in, you can feel your thoughts about this statement in your body. It’s often easier to perceive and release these thoughts through your body than to chase your own mind.
So, close your eyes and state your intention. Then drop your awareness into your body, and while holding your intention in mind, see what comes up on a physical level. How do you feel when you state this intention? If there’s some resistance to this intention, it’s likely that you’ll perceive some discomfort in your body. Maybe a tightness or clenching or jitteriness. Whatever you feel, try feeling it willingly.
Welcome the feeling instead of resisting it. Invite it to be felt. Allow it to open up and to spread over your whole being. Take a deep breath and imagine the breath gathering up this feeling as you inhale. Then, as you exhale, let it go. And repeat. State your intention again, feel what comes up in your body, welcome it completely with no resistance, let it go. Do this several times until you can make your statement and feel at peace in your body.
Congratulations! You’ve just cleared the way for your intention to become a reality!
In our book, we explain the intention crafting process in greater detail and present several more processes for releasing resistance on different levels. We also explain how to activate and potentiate this intention as you bring it into the world.
Please check out the book! You won’t regret it.
Much thanks to Boulder for showing up. If you’re in New York this Thursday, please come to our gathering in SoHo. And if you’re a Portlander, come meet us at our signing at Powell’s Books on January 2nd.
With love,
Peter and Briana Borten
