The Chinese symbol for “intention” is composed two distinct characters. The upper character means “present“ and the lower character means “heart“.
This morning I received a wonderful newsletter article from my friend, Donald Altman. I read it and read it again and I immediately saw the connection with my previous blog on “having a practice.”
“Intentions may be harmful, beneficial, or neutral in what they produce. Intentions are the seeds you plant to produce the eventual yield of your life. When repeated time and time again, the grooves created by intention turn into a habit. Habit then shapes your brain, your character, and life. The problem comes when intentions are unconscious or unheeded, and you are not the master of intentionality. One good easy way to create intentionality is to simply practice it. Set intentions throughout the day for breathing, walking, sitting, standing, driving, and talking.”
–Donald Altman, MA
Eating disorder recovery would be so simple if all we had to do was set our intentions throughout the day and then honor the intentions we have set. I would like all of my patients begin the day by setting their intentions with regards to food. They would set an intention to eat whole foods, in a healthy way, following their meal plans, and they would set their intentions for dealing with stress throughout the day.
