The brain is our most powerful tool. For some of us the brain can be a dark place where it has turned on us. It can be filled with negative self talk, defeating thoughts, and limiting beliefs. Positive affirmations can help change those sneaky thoughts and change your mind into a machine for lifting us up and making positive change in our lives.
Changing thoughts is harder than it sounds. It takes daily, vigilant effort to do it. It also takes a huge amount of self-honesty and self-esteem.
Here are a list of tips on how to use positive affirmations/mantras and chants to change your thinking and effectively change your life.
- Choose only one or two affirmations to work on at a time. Stick to them for a week, month or even a year.
- Write it down on several stick notes and place them several places around you. The bathroom mirror, next to the bed, on your car steering wheel, on your fridge and any where else you think you’ll see it. When you see the sticky note repeat it out loud or in your head.
- Look for situations in your life that the affirmation/mantra applies. Then repeat it to yourself while those events are taking place.
- Using mala beads, repeat the affirmation 108 times everyday.
- Wear a bracelet or tie some string to your wrist to remind you of your affirmation.
- Figure out your belief that has been the opposite of the affirmation. Notice when the negative thought comes in to your mind, replace it with the positive affirmation.
- If you are feeling anxious, or your mind is chattering, repeat your affirmation or chant over and over. Sing it if you need to!
Remember, the more your repeat it, the better it works. If you feel fears coming up, or other strange feelings realize this is the ego resisting it. Persist anyway. A budding yogi’s must have the heart of a warrior! Changing thoughts can be uncomfortable and is sometimes not easy but over time, it will get easier.