Intention Powered Products

There is another brand of bottled water on the market called "H2Om: Water with Intention." According to their website, the water is infused with three different vibrational and energetic frequencies. The first is the vibrational frequency of the label which has words such as love, perfect health, gratitude and prosperity on it as well as meaningful symbols and colors. The second is the infusion of sound and music and "the final energetic frequency is the power of thought. Your ability to connect to the water, create your own intention, and literally, 'Drink' the vibration inspired and supported by the words on the label. This not only reverberates in your body, but out into the world as well" says the company. This is all related to the work of Masaru Emoto who I wrote about in a previous post (see Water for Thought below).

Another new product on the market is "Intentional Chocolate." Their website says "Intentional Chocolate is embedded with the following intention: Whoever consumes this chocolate will manifest optimal health and functioning at physical, emotional and mental levels, and in particular will enjoy an increased sense of energy, vigor and well-being. The new "ingredient" in Intentional Chocolate is not a conventional nutrient, but rather the focused benevolent intentions of highly experienced meditators. It is the first of a new line of food products designed to provide sensory delight, exceptional nutrition, and a novel, scientifically demonstrated form of “intentional nutrition.”

The chocolate is "Hawaiian vintage chocolate" and the people adding the intention ingredient are Buddhist monks. 10% of net proceeds are being donated to the Deer Park Buddhist Center and Monastery. “We want to support the Dalai Lama’s vision of creating a center at Deer Park to facilitate dialogue between Eastern and Western disciplines" the company says.

If you're thinking this is a bunch of hooey, I'm sure you're not alone. I happen to believe in the power of intention and the influence it has on everything we experience, including food. But I also believe that I could infuse my own bottle of water with my thoughts and focused intentions. In fact, the tradition of saying grace before a meal serves a similar purpose - we bless and appreciate the food we are about to eat, relating to it in a conscious way that allows it to nourish us on many levels.

I also believe that for decades it has been easy for people to classify things like this as hokey, mystical, new agey spiritual nonsense. They can put it in a box and keep it at a safe distance. Even I am uncomfortable using much of the language and expressions of spirituality made manifest. My key motivator in designing the be line is to develop a brand that embodies the essence of a mindful lifestyle in a different way - a personal, simple modern way while being very careful not to make spirit a commodity (which it could never be). I think that we should all recognize, however, that these products are indicators of a new social and cultural movement that approaches life holistically. That means body, mind and spirit are acknowledged and nurtured. The spirit, I'm happy to believe, is coming out of the box.