What are affirmations?
An affirmation is "to state that something is true, a statement of truth.” Affirmations are an effective practice to transform our inner dialogue or chat into “the voice of knowledge”, as described by Dr. Miguel Ruiz, a Mexican author of Toltec spiritualist and neoshamanistic texts.
In general, people who spend time in meditation or self-awareness practice know how challenging it is to stop the inner chat. This inner voice is always talking, and it is not our voice's true self. Rather, it’s the collection of old habits, beliefs, knowledge and stories that have been passed through our ancestors, teachers and society. This voice limits us, by judging ourselves; this endless chat is old programming. Our mental commentary is ultimately running the show. It colours our feelings and perceptions about what is happening externally in our world. Ultimately, our thoughts directly influence our experience; creating and attracting everything that happens to us.
Trying to stop our inner chat can be very challenging. The use of affirmations can be an effective tool to access the mind’s landscape; to observe and bring awareness to old mental patterns, and from a place of acceptance to bring inner transformation.
For example, replace self-defeating thoughts such as, “I am never going to be able to lose weight” with an antidote affirmation, like, “I will consciously choose healthy and nutritious foods for my body and mind”.
How Affirmations Works
Our inner voice is a very powerful instrument and we should be aware of how we talk to ourselves. Our words are thoughts in action, the first agreement, as stated in Dr. Miguel Ruiz's book, “The Four Agreements”. Engaging in the practice of affirmation allows us to replace inherited old thoughts with honest and positive new patterns. Affirmations are a powerful technique. In a short time, it can transform our attitudes and expectations about life, including helping us to change what we create for ourselves.
Unwanted Thoughts
Imagine the mind landscape as an ever-flowing running river. Sometimes the water gets muddy, just like unwanted thoughts can become in your mind. A good technique to avoid unwanted thoughts is to observe and be aware of them by recognizing them without investing any energy. A few steps to take when a recurring unwanted thought enters:
Pause.
Acknowledge it.
Give thanks, “Thank you mind, thanks for sharing”.
Repeat this exercise as many times as needed.
Replace the old thought for a new affirmation that you want to replace it with for example:
“I am always safe and divinely protected and guided”
The following are seven important building blocks for affirmations to work:
State your affirmation in the first person and present tense. This means that whatever you are creating is in the “here and now”. Everything is created in the inner plane before it's expressed in the outer reality. For instance :“I open myself to learn new things every day”.
Phrase affirmations in the most positive way you can. For the mind to initiate change, it needs to understand positive thoughts; it is unable to process the word “don't”. For instance, “I don't want to be tense when practicing golf”; remove the contraction, “I don’t want to be tense when practicing golf”. The mind understands “I want to be tense when practicing golf”. The positive affirmation would be “I stay relaxed and centred when practicing golf”.
Choose affirmations that feel honest and right to you. At times, it is normal to feel an emotional resistance to change because of old patterns engraved within us. Our inner response is to fight it. So, when feeling inner conflict when stating an affirmation, most likely it is because it’s not a natural one. Instead, choose one that feels right for you. For example, when starting a new project and feel like an amateur, try saying, “I am new at this, but I open myself to learn new things”.
Keep feelings short and strong for best effectiveness. The deeper you are connected to the state of your affirmation, the stronger your neural path will be created in your mind. “I love and accept myself as I am right now”.
Remember to create something new and fresh. That means to accept what is present in your life right now. But at the same, seek new opportunities that promote change and create manifest exactly what you want to attract what makes you happiest. “I create a wonderful job with a wonderful income”.
Affirmations are not meant to contradict or deny your actual emotions. It is important to recognize and evaluate your positive and negative feelings; the intention is to accept them, not to deny or condemn them. Affirmations are your words in action. They are meant to open new and unlimited possibilities that will enable you to live more satisfying experiences.
Create a feeling of belief as you recite your daily affirmations. Affirmations that carry a natural positive emotion are far more effective when manifested in the world. Spend at least five to ten minutes repeating your affirmations, free of mental doubt or hesitation. Affirmations can be spoken, written down and changed regularly. Invest your power and energy in your beliefs and wait to see how it all unfolds for you.
Here are some ideas to get you started to speak with self-love and compassion.
Do you know that affirmations are neural pathways in project?
The practice of affirmations, whether you choose to repeat them out loud or softly, creates new neural brain pathways. Like any habit, affirmations form neurological pathways that become easier and easier through repetition. Neurologists like to say, “neurone that fire together, wire together”. The affirmation carves grooves in the brain.
Image planting a tomato seed; as you feed and water it, and give it plenty of sunshine, it will grow stronger and stronger with many healthy tomatoes. All from one seed. The seed doesn't start off as a plant. But with proper repetitive care, your seed will begin with strong colourful offshoots, into a strong powerful plant. If you continue to nourish your plant, prune it, and fertilize it, in time you will get hundreds of healthy delicious tomatoes. In this analogy, replace the seed with an affirmation. Healthy affirmations will give a healthy you!. Like a baby taking their first steps. There is uncertainty at first, but as the baby tries and tries, eventually baby walks! The same goes when repeating affirmations. It will evolve subconsciously, and the infinite powers of intention begin to realize.
Setting the Stage
Remember that affirmations take time, patience, and practice. Make it fun, say it loud. Sing your affirmation to your favourite tune. Once done, express genuine gratitude for what the universe is manifesting within you.
The following material is provided for educational purposes only. Use at your own discretion. If you have a health problem, medical emergency, or a general health question, you should contact a physician or other qualified health care provider for consultation, diagnosis and/or treatment."
Resources You can heal your life by Louise Hay .- Creative visualization by Shakti Gawain
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