January 1 – Fueling Intention with Energy

Dear Friends,

Setting a New Year intention can be a powerful practice to align your actions with deeper values and aspirations. An intention is not a rigid resolution but a guiding principle to cultivate mindfulness and growth throughout the year.

Christina Feldman discussed a way we can work with this by noticing intentions:

When the Buddha suggests skillful or wise intentions, he actually gives us quite a short list. We foster the intentions of:

• kindness
• compassion
• nongrasping, unbinding.

I’d encourage you–as you go through your day, and as you take your seat on your meditation cushion–to notice when these intentions are present in your speech, thoughts, actions, and choices. Are they present in how you engage with the world? Notice when those intentions are not present. Begin to sense how, when these intentions are not present, our thoughts, words, acts, and choices are often guided by the predominant mind state of the moment. …

We’re beginning to shape how we engage with the world around us and the world within us. When you notice a shift from those skillful intentions–when authority is given to the prevailing mind state–it can be a moment to pause, just to stop for a moment, to feel your feet on the ground, to sense what it is to restore those intentions that set us on a path of awakening. These intentions really do lead to the end of distress, moment to moment.

Be aware that these intentions are not something that we just set once in our day. They’re intentions that, as a way of living, we return to countless times in a single day.

Tricycle course, “The Seven Factors of Awakening“

Intention and viriya (energy or effort) work hand in hand to support our practice and aspirations. Intention serves as the spark that directs our actions, planting the seeds of wholesome qualities like kindness, patience, and wisdom. Viriya, in turn, provides the steady commitment to nurture these seeds, transforming intentions into lived experiences. Together, they ensure that our efforts are purposeful and aligned with our deepest values.

As we start this month together, take a moment to reflect on how your intentions guide your actions. What would it look like to bring steady energy to nurture those intentions, even in small, consistent ways, as you walk the path toward greater wisdom and compassion?

As you reflect on how intention and energy support your practice, consider contributing your thoughts or experiences as a comment here. Our collective wisdom grows when we each offer our insights.

With good wishes,
Andrea