How to Set Intentions with Bay Leaves: The Daily Ritual That Changed My Life

Every morning, I try to spend some time with myself before the day’s distractions begin.

I take a bay leaf, I write one intention, and I watch it burn. The whole ritual takes no more than five minutes.

Here is one reason why I do it.

A while ago, I found myself deep in somebody’s comment section that I had absolutely no business being in. I was getting worked up over strangers on the internet debating something I could not change, fix, or control.

Basically, you know that feeling where you know deep down that you should put the phone down, but somehow you just keep going anyway?

Yeah. That was me.

And then the intention that I burned on my bay leaf that morning tapped me on the shoulder.

I had written down: I choose to focus only on what I can control.

I put my phone down, and I came back to myself just like that.

That, above all, is the gift of this practice, and it does not end when the leaf burns. It lives in you all day, waiting for the moment you need it most, and pulling you back to who you chose to be.

What Is an Intention and Why “I Choose” Changes Everything

An intention is a decision. It is a deliberate choice about how you want to move through your day, who you want to be, and how you want to show up for yourself and the people around you.

Most people move through their days reacting. Something happens, and without thinking, they respond on habit, emotion, or whatever energy the moment brings. Setting a daily intention, on the other hand, is the practice of choosing your state of being before the day has a chance to choose it for you.

The language you use matters more than you might think.

I write my intentions using the words “I choose,” and that small change in wording has made a difference in my journey.

Choice is active and, more importantly, choice is available to you at any moment of any day. So when you say ‘I choose to be patient,’ you are claiming that patience is something you are actively creating, something you are stepping into on purpose.

Some of us move through our days feeling like life is happening around us and we are just along for the ride. Saying “I choose” gives you back the power.

Ultimately, it is a reminder that you have always had the power to decide how you experience your day, and that power is available to you right now, and tomorrow, and every single morning after that.

How to Set Your Intention with a Bay Leaf

This ritual is simple, and it takes about five minutes. Here is exactly how I do it every morning.

Step 1: Find some quiet time

I start by finding a spot where I can be with my thoughts for just a few minutes. This does not have to be an elaborate setup. It can be your kitchen table, your bedroom, or anywhere you can be still for a moment. The goal is to create a deliberate pause before your day begins.

Step 2: Choose your intention

I ask myself one question: how do I want to show up today? Sometimes the answer comes quickly. Other times, I sit with it for a moment. I keep it to one intention per leaf, and I always start with the words “I choose to.”

Some examples of daily intentions:

• I choose to focus only on what I can control.
• I choose to show up with patience today.
• I choose to find joy in the small moments.
• I choose to move through my day with ease and clarity.
• I choose to be present in every conversation.

Step 3: Write your intention on the leaf

I use a marker and write my intention directly on my bay leaf. The act of writing it makes it real. It moves it from a thought floating around in your mind to something you can hold in your hands.

Step 4: Hold the leaf and connect

I hold the leaf for a moment, my eyes closed, and visualize what it would feel and look like to actually live out that intention throughout my day. I let that feeling settle into my body, not just my mind. This is the moment of connection.

Step 5: Burn the leaf and release

Using a lighter, my bay leaf holder, and my abalone shell, I burn my bay leaf. As it burns, I watch the smoke carry my intention outward. I say “thank you” either out loud or silently. Then I release it. I trust that I have done my part, and I let the rest go.

The ritual is simple and takes only a few minutes, but the effects last all day.

7 Daily Bay Leaf Intention Benefits

I have been doing this daily bay leaf ritual for years, and these are some of the benefits I love.

1. It creates a moment of stillness that belongs only to you

Our mornings have a way of filling up fast. This ritual carves out a few minutes that are entirely yours, a sacred pause before the demands of the day begin. That quiet moment is a gift you give yourself, and it sets the tone for everything that follows.

2. It gives you a powerful visual anchor to return to all day

When I burn my bay leaf, the image stays with me. The flame, the smoke, the words I wrote. Throughout the day, when I feel myself spiraling, I can close my eyes and return to that moment. It becomes a mental anchor that instantly brings me back to my intention.

3. It puts you in the driver’s seat of your own day

Starting your intention with “I choose” frames your entire mindset proactively. You are actively creating your experience rather than waiting to see what the day brings. That sense of ownership changes how you move through every situation you encounter.

4. It becomes something you genuinely look forward to

This ritual has become one of my favorite parts of my morning. It feels like a special ceremony just for me, a small act of devotion to the life I am building. That positive feeling carries into the day and makes it easier to stay connected to your intentions even when things get hard.

5. It trains you to be more present throughout your day

The ritual itself requires you to be fully present. You have to be here, in this moment, to write on the leaf, to hold it, to burn it safely. That practice of presence becomes easier to access throughout the day. You start to notice your thoughts and actions more clearly because you have already practiced mindfulness that morning.

6. It reminds you that you get to decide how you use the tools available to you

This practice has taught me that we have the freedom to adapt rituals to fit our own personal journeys. A bay leaf is a tool, and how you use that tool is entirely up to you. When you claim that freedom, it extends beyond the ritual and into every area of your life.

7. It teaches you the power of releasing

By burning the bay leaf, you are physically and symbolically letting go. You set the intention, you committed to it, and then you released the need to hold on to it tightly. That act of trust is its own kind of practice. You are learning every single morning that you can do your part and then surrender the rest.

Start Your Morning With a Choice

You already have everything you need to begin. One bay leaf, one marker, some time alone, and one choice about how you want to show up today.

Write your intention. Hold it. Watch it burn. Then carry it with you into your day and trust that it will find you exactly when you need it most.

That is the ritual. And over time, that ritual becomes a way of life.

If you want to go deeper into the bay leaf ritual, here are a few places to continue:

How to Do a Bay Leaf Manifestation Ritual

30 Bay Leaf Manifestation Techniques

The Bay Leaf I Use for My Daily Intention Ritual

When I started this practice, I quickly realized that the quality of your bay leaf matters. You want a leaf that is large enough to write on clearly and flat enough to hold your words without cracking.

That is exactly why I created INTENTION // bay leaves. Each one is carefully selected to be ready for your ritual the moment it arrives. You can find them in my shop in 30-packs and 100-packs.

Explore them here: INTENTION // bay leaves