Intention setting
Intention—before the meditation
Don't rush or skip this part but make a real effort to verbally think about the following things.
Motivation: Take a moment to think about your personal reason for meditating.
Permission: Give yourself permission to let go of anything that arises. A lot of seemingly important thoughts will come up, but during the meditation session, you allow yourself to let go of them—no matter how important they seem.
Commitment: For the next 10 minutes you make a strong commitment to practice meditation consistently. Yes, you will get distracted, but you commit yourself to systematically return to the meditation object with kindness. Don't forget to commit with kindness—it is the heart of the practice.
Intention—during the meditation
The mind is very skilled at forgetting. At the beginning of the meditation, all the subminds might have checked in on the meditation train, but after a while they get distracted and check out. They are not ill-intended, they simply forgot why staying with the breath was a worthwhile thing.
When you notice this, interrupt the meditation for a moment and remember your motivation, give yourself permission and make a commitment to work diligently, just like in the beginning.
Another way of systematically setting the intention is by using language. More on that here:
Gratitude—after the meditation
We always end a meditation session with a moment of gratitude, because we have taken care of ourselves in a way that isn't always easy. This moment will make it easier to start next time and can be especially important after a difficult meditation session.
It can help to remember your motivation from the beginning of the session. You have taken some time to work towards this motivation, which is great, especially if it was difficult! Saying "thank you" to yourself in silence can help as well.
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