So, you’re preparing for a breathwork session. Maybe you’ve done it before, maybe it’s your first time. You’ve set aside the time, found a quiet space, perhaps chosen some guiding music. But there’s one simple, yet profoundly impactful step you might overlook: setting an intention. It sounds simple, almost too simple, but taking a few moments to clarify *why* you’re showing up to breathe can dramatically shape your experience.
Think of it like setting a destination before starting a journey. You wouldn’t just jump in the car and drive aimlessly (well, maybe sometimes!), especially if you were hoping to arrive somewhere specific. Setting an intention for your breathwork session acts as your inner compass. It’s not about rigidly controlling the outcome – breathwork often has its own wisdom and takes you where you need to go – but rather about giving your journey a gentle direction, a point of focus, or a quality you wish to explore or embody.
What Exactly is an Intention in This Context?
An intention isn’t a hard-and-fast goal like “I *will* solve this problem” or “I *must* feel happy.” Instead, it’s softer, more like a guiding question, a gentle invitation, or a theme for your inner exploration. It could be a single word, a short phrase, or a question you’re holding.
Here are some ways to think about it:
- A Quality to Cultivate: Perhaps you want to invite more peace, courage, self-compassion, or creativity into your life. Your intention might simply be that word: “Peace,” “Courage,” “Compassion.”
- Something to Release: You might feel weighed down by stress, a specific worry, or old patterns. Your intention could be “Release tension,” “Let go of worry,” or “Surrender control.”
- A Point of Clarity: Maybe you’re facing a decision or feeling confused about something. Your intention could be framed as a question: “What needs clarity here?” or simply “Clarity.”
- Connection: You might want to deepen the connection with yourself, your body, or something larger than yourself. Intentions like “Connect with my body,” “Listen inwardly,” or “Open heart” fit here.
- Simple Presence: Sometimes, the most powerful intention is just to be fully present with whatever arises during the session. “Be present” or “Show up fully” works perfectly.
The key is that it resonates with you, right here, right now. It’s personal and arises from your current state and needs.
Why Bother Setting an Intention?
Breathwork can be a powerful experience. Sensations can arise, emotions can surface, insights can dawn. It can sometimes feel intense or overwhelming. Having an intention provides several benefits:
Focus and Anchoring: When things feel intense or your mind starts wandering (which it inevitably will!), your intention can serve as a gentle anchor. It’s something to softly return your focus to, reminding you why you embarked on this inner journey. It helps navigate the inner landscape with a sense of purpose, however subtle.
Signaling Your Inner Wisdom: By setting an intention, you’re essentially communicating with your deeper self, your subconscious. You’re saying, “This is what I’m open to exploring,” or “This is the area where I’m seeking insight or release.” It primes your system to engage with that theme on a deeper level.
Deepening the Experience: Approaching the session with intention transforms it from a purely physiological exercise into a more holistic and meaningful practice. It invites conscious participation in your own healing and growth process.
Integration: Having an intention can make integrating the experience afterward easier. You have a reference point. How did the session relate to your intention? Did insights arise? Did you feel a shift related to the quality you wished to cultivate or the tension you hoped to release? It provides a framework for reflection.
A Practical Approach: How to Set Your Intention
Setting an intention doesn’t need to be a complicated ritual, though you can make it one if you like! The most important thing is sincerity.
1. Find a Quiet Moment: Just before you begin your breathing practice, take a minute or two. Sit or lie down comfortably. Close your eyes if that feels right.
2. Check In With Yourself: Take a few natural breaths. Ask yourself:
- How am I feeling right now, physically and emotionally?
- What feels most present or pressing in my life at this moment?
- Is there anything I’m seeking (clarity, peace, release, connection)?
- What quality would I like to invite more of into my being?
- What am I curious about exploring within myself?
3. Formulate Your Intention: Based on your check-in, choose a word, phrase, or question. Keep it relatively simple and clear. Often, less is more. Frame it positively if possible (e.g., “Invite ease” rather than “Stop struggling,” though “Release struggle” works too if that feels more authentic).
4. Feel It: Once you have your intention, repeat it silently to yourself a few times. Try to connect with the *feeling* behind the words. If your intention is “Peace,” feel into what peace feels like in your body, even if it’s just a tiny seed of it. If it’s “Release tension,” acknowledge the tension you wish to let go of.
5. Let It Go: This is crucial. Set the intention, feel it, and then release any attachment to a specific outcome. Hold it lightly. Trust that the breath and your inner wisdom will guide the process. Your intention is the starting point, not a rigid script for the session.
Verified Approach: Setting an intention creates a mental framework. This helps focus the mind and directs subconscious processes towards a desired state or insight during practices like breathwork or meditation. It leverages the brain’s ability to filter information and prioritize goals. Remember to hold the intention lightly, allowing the experience to unfold naturally.
Examples to Spark Your Own Ideas
Sometimes seeing examples helps get the wheels turning. Remember, these are just suggestions – your most powerful intention will come from within you.
Intentions for Release:
- Release physical tension
- Let go of anxious thoughts
- Surrender control
- Release old stories
- Let go of resentment
- Breathe out stress
Intentions for Cultivating Qualities:
- Cultivate inner peace
- Invite self-compassion
- Embody courage
- Access creativity
- Foster forgiveness
- Connect with joy
- Build resilience
Intentions for Clarity and Insight:
- Gain clarity on [specific situation]
- Listen to my inner wisdom
- Understand this pattern
- What needs my attention?
- Open to insight
Intentions for Connection:
- Connect deeply with my body
- Open my heart
- Feel connected to myself
- Connect with inner guidance
Simple Presence Intentions:
- Be fully present
- Show up for myself
- Just breathe
- Observe without judgment
During and After Your Breathwork
Once your session begins, focus on the breath as instructed or guided. Your intention might fade into the background, and that’s perfectly fine. If your mind wanders significantly or if difficult emotions arise, gently reminding yourself of your intention can serve as that helpful anchor, bringing you back to your purpose for the session. Don’t force it, just offer it as a gentle reminder.
Important Note: Breathwork can sometimes bring up strong emotions or physical sensations. It’s generally considered safe for most people, but listen to your body. If anything feels overwhelmingly uncomfortable or unsafe, gently ease back on the breathing intensity or stop the practice. Setting an intention is helpful, but your immediate well-being always comes first.
After the active breathing finishes, during the integration or resting phase, allow yourself space to simply be. Notice any shifts, sensations, or insights. Later, perhaps through journaling or quiet reflection, you can revisit your intention. Did anything surface related to it? How does the intention feel now compared to before the session? Did the experience offer a different perspective?
Sometimes the connection is direct and obvious; other times, it’s more subtle or unfolds in the days following the session. Trust that the work is happening, whether you consciously grasp all the connections or not. Setting the intention plants a seed, and the breath helps it grow in its own time and way.
Taking those few moments before you begin breathing to connect with your ‘why’ transforms the practice. It elevates it from a mechanical act to a conscious conversation with yourself. It’s a simple yet profound way to deepen your journey inward, making each breathwork session a more intentional step on your path of self-discovery and well-being.
