You're standing at a crossroads on an unfamiliar trail, your boots sinking into mud as sheets of rain pound the earth around you. Through a curtain of water, you squint at two weathered trail markers pointing in opposite directions. You've prepared for this moment. With steady hands, you retrieve a hand-drawn map from your pack, check your bearings against the storm-dark sky, and resume your journey northward.

A well-crafted intention before a psychedelic journey is like that trail map - an anchor of clarity when paths diverge, a powerful reminder of where you're heading and why you set out in the first place.

Unlike casual resolutions that often fade with time, these deeper intentions act as roots that ground your experience. They aren't wishful thoughts; they're carefully planted seeds that can grow into profound insights and catalyze meaningful change.

In this guide, you'll learn how to transform vague hopes for renewal, healing or self-understanding into crystal-clear intentions that, with the right care, can be woven into the fabric of your life. Let's dive in.

Drafting Your Intention: Reflective Questions to Shape a Clear Vision

Before setting your intention, pause. If you're at your desk, close your eyes and draw several deep breaths. As your breath steadies, turn inward and imagine what you want to bring into your life. Return to your notes from the previous exercise.

Now, sink your awareness into your body – notice the subtle currents of emotion active there. When you feel fully present and connected, sit with these questions as you craft your journey intention:

• What Do You Want to Bring Into Your Life? Reflect on the positive changes you want to see in your life, framing those hopes affirmatively.
• What Personal Characteristics and Feelings Do You Desire? Envision the emotional and mental state you wish to embody and the qualities you want to cultivate in yourself.
• What Obstacles or Old Patterns Hold You Back? Identify limiting beliefs or recurring behaviors that may hinder your progress.

With all of that in mind, now write a draft intention, framing it affirmatively.

Focus on your desired state rather than current challenges. Focus on what you want to invite into your life rather than what you want to avoid.

Consider this example: "I want to feel empowered to form deeper connections" or "I want to release self-doubt and embrace self-compassion."

I want to understand the root of my anxiety and learn how to be more calm, joyful, present, positive and open to other people. I want to ruminate less about things I cannot change.



Meditation for Grounding Your Intention

Once you’ve shaped your intention, grounding it through meditation can help anchor it in your mind and heart. Try this guided meditation to anchor your intention:

1. Center Yourself: Close your eyes and take three deep breaths, releasing any tension with each exhale.
2. Visualize Your Intention: Picture your intention as a radiant light within your chest, glowing brighter with every breath.
3. See Your Desired State: Imagine yourself living in alignment with your intention, imagine what that will feel like.
4. Release What No Longer Serves You: Visualize any obstacles dissolving or floating away, freeing you to embrace your intention.
5. Affirm and Anchor: See your intention clearly in your mind's eye, allowing its energy to become part of you.
6. Close with Gratitude: End your meditation by expressing gratitude for what you've allowed and for the map you've drawn.


Next Steps: Holding Your Intention

To sustain and reinforce your intention, consider integrating grounding practices into your daily routine:

• Journaling: Write your intention in a journal and document your response to it as well as any insights as your journey day approaches.
• Mindful Breathing and Movement:Practice mindfulness and deep breathing exerecises centered on your intention to prepare for recentering during your journey experience
• Visualization: As the day of your journey approaches, imagine yourself achieving your desired intention state, how that will feel in your body and how it will enrich your life

These practices needn't occupy more than 10 minutes of each day before a journey but, practiced regularly, can strongly impact the nature of your experience and it's echos in your life in the weeks and months that follow.

Setting an intention for your journey is a deeply personal process, and sometimes it helps to work with someone you trust. If you'd like support in crafting your intention or want to learn more about journey preparation and integration, join me for a free 20-minute conversation to explore approaches that might work for you.

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