Intention is the first of our four movements, underpinning all the others. Consciously cultivating intention may not be a familiar process – but if we identify and stay connected with what matters to us, it will support us well. Maybe, we can then use our time to make space to enjoy what is precious. We can choose to stop delaying living – and allow an experience of illness to motivate choices of wellness. What might that mean to you? There may be lots of reasons why this may not seem possible, but let us see what unfolds from the process of cultivating mindful intention.
We consider this in a number of ways that are practical, reflective and practice‐based. Later, we follow a Body Scan, and introduce two short practices. At the end of this chapter, we look at the implications of being diagnosed with cancer, and learn a ‘first aid’ mindfulness practice.
Preparing the ground3
Cultivating intention is the first step in bringing mindfulness into your life. It links you to your vision for what you hope mindfulness may offer.
We might bring to mind some intentions made in the past that started well, but did not last. Like New Year’s Resolutions, they often focus on giving something up, rather than putting something in place. The motivation behind them is what seems to count. Cultivating an ‘ought to’ intention is likely to become irritating and guilt inducing. At the other extreme, we might be tempted to frame our intention in meaningful significance that is writ large! This can prove exhausting to sustain.
Our world tends to motivate us towards hard work and constant busyness. We end up driven to get more and more done. When someone becomes ill, their productivity is inevitably diminished and this can feel very difficult, for the universe tends to define us by what we do – as we do ourselves.
Instead can we look at intentions that support a simpler and kinder way of being? Can we find ways of fostering a commitment to enjoy and appreciate all that we love in our lives? Can we put meaning into the detail of ‘living’ rather than the ‘doing’ of it? This is what mindfulness has to offer us.
When mindfulness is harnessed with conscious intention, we can align to those choices that support well‐being and offer skilful responses to difficulty.
Developing a new skill takes practice. Starting mindfulness is a bit like learning to play a musical instrument. It takes time before you can make a decent sound – but with a commitment to practice regularly, it starts to feel more natural.
Every action involves some form of intention. It might be vague – an almost mindless or unconscious intention – such as when we stand up to make a hot drink, or walk upstairs to fetch something and then forget half way up what we wanted!
At the other end of the scale, there are overarching intentions that are formed to support what is wholesome – and what we hold dear. These then become specific when translated into everyday actions. They guide the choices we make.
Jennifer was going to be 40 and had finished treatment for breast cancer two years before. She decided to enter her first ever mini triathlon to prove to herself that she was now well and not yet ‘over the hill’ (her overarching intention). She made some specific intentions to train regularly in all three activities. She didn't do as much as she planned, but she was thrilled to be able to complete the course.
