FRO Motivation

Sometimes before a yoga class the instructor will tell us to “set your intentions.” Concentrate on what you are going to do in, or get out of, this class. In other settings instructors have inquired about a particular pose on which you may be working. For quite some time when I was asked to set my intentions I interpreted this to mean that I was to be concentrating on a particular pose or two, or a certain aspect of poses, like foundation. Where was my focus? In the regular yoga class I attend there are 34 poses.

How many things do you have to do in a day? In a week? In a month? Do you “set your intentions” by concentrating on particular tasks? Which are the most important? This is the primary cause of stress: you focus on something particular, think about it often, worry about it, stress over it. It just one task in many, regardless of its relative importance. Between any moment and the moment of the impending important item there may any number of tasks for you to perform.

When I “set my intentions” for yoga class I set my intention for each pose. There is no one pose that deserves more attention. They are all important. For each pose I think about what I can do to make it better, to grow stronger, to increase balance and flexibility.

Sure, I have a list of things to do in any one day, week, month, year, or life. Each item on that list is important, otherwise why is it on the list?! What deserves the most attention is whatever I am doing now. Contentment is not dependent upon a few “important” tasks; concentrating on such will simply increase stress. Contentment is achieved by treating each task as important, releasing yourself from any other tasks while you work this one.

You may be facing deadlines, or an “important” event may be looming; regardless, whatever you are doing now is what is most important. Make your list, concentrate on the current item, then they will fall like dominoes.

What does FRO stand for? Well, it stands for Fro.