Every yoga class has a purpose
How to be more intentional, with our yoga practice and our wild and precious lives
One crisp April morning, as I headed out for a run, Coach Bennett from the Nike Run Club app piped through my headphones, “Every run has a purpose.” His words struck a chord as I jogged through the quiet streets. That purpose might be to recover, to build stamina, to get some headspace, or to shake off a bad day. But whatever the reason, there’s always a purpose—and it’s usually the compelling force that gets you out and running rather than lounging on the sofa.
Similarly, I think we can apply this concept to our yoga practice. Whether we consciously realise it or not, every yoga session has a purpose, a reason for unrolling our mats and making time for ourselves. And if we can be more aware of what that purpose is, it becomes a valuable tool to increase our presence and awareness throughout our practice. This awareness also means we’re more likely to practise in a way that serves us and what we need at that time.
However, the idea of a yoga practice with a purpose can be a tricky concept to work with. It can end up feeling goal-oriented and striving, which seems at odds with the acceptance, contentment, and openness we often want to nurture through our yoga practice.
Navigating this tension is something I've been exploring in my own practice. The key, I've found, is not to let the goals overshadow the journey. By recognising that the practice itself holds value, regardless of outcomes, we allow ourselves to remain open to whatever experiences might arise, thus staying truer to the ethos of yoga.
So, in my personal practice, I start by considering why I’ve chosen to come to the mat. Once I understand my purpose, I use it to form an intention for my practice. An intention, to me, feels more open and allowing than a purpose. It’s like setting our sails without knowing the exact weather forecast; we don’t know how far we might travel or where exactly we’ll end up, but we have set a direction for ourselves with thought and care. I believe you can’t fail with an intention—it’s still there, it happened, and you set it, regardless of where your practice takes you. Any gap between intention and the way your reality plays out is something to get curious about, and see what it has to teach you.
Working with intention on the yoga mat:
Having an intention in mind offers an anchor for your attention and focus throughout the practice. It's not something to fixate on, but more of a mental touchstone—something to revisit, check in with, and gently remind yourself of. Some of the intentions I’ve been working with recently include:
Create space
Feel what you feel
Go gently
Be curious
Be here
You’ll see that I like to keep the intention very short. This makes it easy to remember (always a bonus!) and easy to revisit at different points throughout the practice.
Many yoga teachers, myself included, will suggest an intention for the class they’re teaching, which will usually relate to the theme of the class and the sort of practice they have planned. But remember whether they offer an intention or not, you can still bring your own intention to the practice. You can work with it in mind throughout the class, or you can set your intention at the start, then reconnect with it at the end when you’re resting in savasana. It’s your intention and your practice.
Working with intention off the yoga mat:
What we do on our yoga mats guides what we do out in the world, so practising yoga with intention makes it easier to be more intentional in our wider lives. We’re often very good at writing task lists for the day, but it’s another thing to be really intentional about how we want to go about doing that work. How do we want to feel? What’s the most important aspect of the day? What’s our intention?
As the ever-inspiring Brené Brown puts it,
“It’s not about ‘what can I accomplish?’ but ‘what do I want to accomplish?”
At the start of my work day now, as well as writing a to-do list (which is always at least 7 points too long for the time I have…) I set my intention for the day. That might be:
Connect with colleagues
Slow down and work more mindfully
See the positives
Be open to new possibilities
The advantage of the intention is that it brings a positive, purposeful direction to my day, regardless of what unfolds and how many items I actually manage to tick off the list.
So my invitation this week is to play with being more intentional, in yoga and in life. What’s important to you, and how do you want to feel? You might even find an intention which serves you beautifully on and off the yoga mat—“be curious” is one that often works for me, reminding me to stay present and open to what arises. How will you invite intention into the time you have today?
Things to practise, read and enjoy:
Currently practising: This Core Connection class by Fiji McAlpine is 13 years old now… I’ve been practising it since I stumbled across it around 10 years ago and it’s still one of my go-to yoga classes.
Currently listening to: Yoga is Dead podcast - What a name! I’ve just started listening to this and it’s incredibly thought provoking - lots to reflect on…
Currently reading: Blood: The science, medicine and mythology of menstruation by Dr Jen Gunter
Today’s newsletter was sponsored by Elevated Pilates in Beeston.