Seasonal intentions

I’m always curious to know if people set intentions or goals. If they do, I want to know more about how they conceptualize and keep track of them. If they don’t, I am equally as interested in why not.

I like to make seasonal intentions. The cyclic nature of seasons works for me, and the changes between seasons serve as helpful heuristics for me to note what is happening within myself alongside the changes in the outer world.

Today is the summer solstice. Depending on who you ask, this day is considered the first day of the summer season or the middle of the summer.

Summer can be a very yang, external, energy-filled time. Plants and foods are fruiting. There’s more daylight. Maybe you have more energy too. This might be a time of the year when you feel like doing more. In five element theory, summer corresponds to the fire element, joy, and connection. When the fire element is in balance, our feelings and expressions of joy can lead to lots of creative activity, interpersonal connection, and intimacy. However, when the fire element is out of balance, we can feel anxious, have heart palpitations, and have trouble sleeping.

This season, I find myself wanting to get more clear on what my intentions are for the summer - the most yang time - so that I can focus my energy on a few things that are very important to me, rather than letting my attention go everywhere.

In Chinese medicine, there is a saying: Qi follows attention.

This means that your qi or energy will go toward wherever you place your attention, for better or for worse.

It’s great when our attention is sharply, and wisely focused on what matters to us. Our energy moves toward those parts of our lives and we can make something good happen. I observe this in my husband, who is a musician, on a daily basis. He is working on an album, and almost every weekday, his attention is directly on his project. His thoughts and actions move around his composition, and other parts of his life - from his yoga practice to his food choices - are in service to the project. There is a clear line along which his attention and energy are directed, without much spillage.

Many of you probably have examples of this in your life too.

We need to be aware and cautious of the times when our attention is repeatedly going toward things that deplete or stress us, as our qi will also flow there.

Do you notice when you are so caught up in worries that you barely have energy left over to tend to the parts of the life you really love, the things you want to do?

I find that setting intentions helps me focus my attention, and thus direct my qi, more thoughtfully.

Intentions are personal. They can be very detailed and complete, or more conceptual and big. I like a mix of both. For me, the physical process of writing (or typing) out my intentions and then looking at them frequently works as a habitual reminder from myself to myself of where I decided I want my attention to go.

Lately, I like to organize my intentions in Notion, where I organize most of my life. A small notebook can be good too.

When I’m feeling anxious or overwhelmed, I like to look at my intentions so that I can remind myself of what really matters in the moment and allow my attention to back off of some of the unnecessary places it may have been radiating out toward.

Do you make and keep intentions or goals?

How do you like to keep track of them?

What kinds of intentions do you have these days? For this season or time?

I would love to hear from you on this and learn more about where your attention is directed right now. You are welcome to write back to me directly to this email, I really enjoy your responses. 🌷

Warmly,

Artemisia

Clinical Herbalist | Chinese Medicine

innervillagehealth.com