I love group classes. It’s such a great way to push yourself harder than you may otherwise push, and I always have a great sense of accomplishment when I finish. One thing I have recently learned about myself as an athlete, is that I don’t always have to throw down in a group class. Instead, I’m starting to take a Yogi approach to some of my group classes and setting an intention for my “practice” when I walk in.
Setting an intention is fairly different than setting a goal. Goals are usually very measurable (“I want to beat THAT time on the board” or “I want to lift THAT much weight”) whereas intentions can be seen as broad brushstrokes of the soul like patience, gratitude, inner calm, etc. Not nearly as measurable, but intentions can become aspects of our daily being.
Intention is intended to translate off the mat/out of the gym into our daily lives as well. Many of us with to feel more at peace with ourselves, or fully feel gratitude for the positivity in our lives.
So what is it like to set an intention when walking into a group class? Instead of sizing up the person you would usually “chase”, try setting an intention that you want to feel fully present in your workout, or that you want to feel gratitude for your body throughout your time in the gym that day. That may mean you slow down a little, it may mean you focus on your breathing a little more, or it may mean that you use a lighter weight, but you may leave with a totally different mindset than you would otherwise.