Yoga, Happiness and Buddhism: Right Intention

By: Virginia Iversen, M.Ed

There is a growing awareness and interest in the Yoga community about how to use the tools and techniques of Yoga to increase happiness. One of the ways to increase a sense of happiness, ease and well-being through a balanced Yoga practice is to incorporate the wisdom of The Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism into your practice or Yoga classes. The Noble Eightfold Path is the Fourth Noble Truth of the Buddha. It is literally a road map of how to live a life filled with a sense of purpose, happiness, nobility, and ease. Ultimately, following the Eightfold Path is intended to lead a saduka or spiritual seeker to a state of enlightened absorption in the Divine.    

By implementing the Noble Eightfold Path into your Yoga practice or class, you will find that your practice is integrated into your own life and the lives of your students in a deeper, more meaningful way. A dharma wheel with eight spokes frequently represents the Noble Eightfold Path. Each spoke is a different aspect or step on the path. The goal of these eight steps is to relieve suffering and nurture a realistic and accurate understanding of the universe and our place in the universe. Following the Eightfold Path is also intended to relieve the mental suffering and strife that often arises from a sense of hopelessness about our own lives, as well as the despondency that many of us feel about the problematic state of the world. 

One of the eight steps on the Dharma Wheel is “right intention.” In this context, the term “right” is used to denote a sense of wisdom, skill and wholesome living. If you are a Yoga student, setting an intention that aligns your purpose for practicing Yoga with a “noble” cause, your practice will take on a deeper meaning. This noble cause could be anything that uplifts you or the environment around you. In other words, if your intention for practicing Yoga today is to relieve your lower back pain or release pent up tension in your shoulders after a challenging work week, this is an admirable intention that will uplift you, which will in turn uplift those around you. 

As a Yoga instructor, if you formally take the time at the beginning of your class to allow your students to set an intention for their practice, you will quietly create the space and time for them to pause and reflect on their aspirations for practicing Yoga today. Aligning your own intention for leading a Yoga class will help to frame your instruction in a meaningful way. When you set an intention for teaching a particular class, it is advisable to keep in mind the individual students who comprise your Yoga class today.

* Setting an Intention with Lotus Mudra

Setting an intention with Lotus Mudra is a beautiful and heart-opening way to begin a Yoga practice or class. A mudra is a hand gesture that has the power to subtly shift your state of being and focus subtle energy in a profound way. Many Yoga traditions called the art of incorporating mudras into a Yoga class “sealing” the energetic qualities of the pose. Different mudras also generate various emotional tones and qualities. In terms of setting an intention for your practice or class, Lotus Mudra is a simple and referent way of tapping into the energy and wisdom of the heart chakra. 

To practice Lotus Mudra, place your palms together in a prayer position in front of your heart. Bow your head and pause for a moment to allow a heart-filled intention to arise from within you. When you are clear on the intention you would like to set for your practice, as you inhale, raise your head and gently open your fingers up to the sky in the form of a lotus flower by keeping your thumbs, little fingers and the lower part of your palms touching, while your middle fingers move out in the form of a budding flower. Hold Lotus Mudra for three complete breaths. After your third breath, bring your fingers together and bow your head to your heart as you seal your intention for your practice today. 

© Copyright 2014 – Virginia Iversen / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division