This Always Makes Me Feel Poopy When I See it on Instagram

When I popped onto Instagram a few weeks ago and saw my feed full of July intentions, most of which were beautifully written out in vibrant colors against a backdrop of candles and bubble baths, I instantly starting “shoulding” all over myself. I immediately went from being in my day and enjoying the moment to feeling behind. With my life as full as it right now, the thought of creating a page full of intentions every month, and sticking to them (or more likely, not) is totally overwhelming to me. 

Have you ever felt like this? Like you’re not doing this self-improvement thing right? Or you’re not doing enough?

While I love the idea of setting big goals, the reality is that isn’t what works for me. 

What does work for me is taking small moments to tune into my intuition, honoring where I am and connecting with my specific intentions are at that time. Often I do this through journaling, which doesn’t happen every day, through meditation, or by talking it out with a friend or colleague (anyone who knows me knows I’m a big talker!).

As we roll into August, I wanted to share a specific practice that has worked so well for me the last few months in case you feel overwhelmed by the whole monthly intentions process too.

Let intention setting be easy

Here’s what to do: Pick one song and sit in meditation for the duration of the song. When you feel complete, sit and journal for 5-10 minutes after (here’s my playlist if you need some inspo!). I’m happy if only one thing comes through. Some message from self that guides me for the day or even the next moment. It doesn’t need to be a bunch of things and if a bunch does through, figure out what’s the one thing you must do. It could be a goal, an intention or a simple practice in your day.

And if one of your intentions is doing more for yourself or being in community, come join me at Wanderlust’s new 2-day event in Chicago where I’ll be speaking! These festivals are SO much more than just yoga in the park: each day you’ll plot your own journey through world-class asana, meditation or fitness classes, and come check me out, giving talks at the Speakeasy. 

Check out all the details here and use my code RYOUKILISWL19 for 10% off your ticket price!

Before I go, here’s my intention for August – after a very full June and July, my intention is to finally allow it to feel like summer. That means more long walks at night, fun meals out with friends, and slower, lazier weekends with my family.