In Yoga class we usually start by setting a Samkalpa...an intention for our practice. As the new year rings in it's a time to set longer intentions, goals or affirmations. Here's some tips to help your affirmations be more effective.
Happy New Year!
Think about things in your life you want to
improve. The best way to create
affirmations is to consider areas of your life that you would like to
improve. Would you like to practice more yoga ? Do you want to have a closer
relationship with your mother, brother or sister? Would you like to feel
better about your self image? Spend some time thinking about areas of
improvement and jot them down. Be clear about your goals and this will
help in making them a reality.
Keep your affirmations focused and believable. Based on
the list that you have written, choose what you want now. Be clear with
yourself. It is even more
important to keep your affirmation believable… don’t set yourself up for
failure. So, instead of saying “I want to lose 10, 20, 30lbs.,” you are
better off saying “I am on my way to a more healthy body by losing weight and
exercising regularly.” Essentially, it is important to draw a line
between your wants and your feelings. You want to lose a certain amount
of weight, but this want stems from the desire to feel better about
yourself. The feeling is the focus.
Always state your affirmations in the present
tense. Tell your mind that your desire
is actually already the reality. If you use words like “I will” or “I am
going to,” then what you are really doing is postponing the attainment of your
goal. If your affirmation is your reality, well then, you are already
accomplishing it! “I have a loving relationship with my mother” is much
more positive for your mind than to say you will have this type of a
relationship with mom. By saying you will, you give yourself the
opportunity to postpone that difficult first step with
her. Tell yourself you already have this positive relationship with mom,
and you are already halfway there to achieving it. Our minds are
incredible gifts that have the power to make our goals a reality.
Always keep your affirmations brief and simple. Formulate
your affirmations in your own language, speak to yourself the way you speak all
the time. Don’t use long sentences or big words because this only
counteracts the ability to remember them… and repeat them.
Repeat them daily and say them out loud. Preferably
in front of the mirror. You will be shocked at how awkward you feel when
doing this the first few times… but DO IT! It forces you to believe in
yourself! And it's worth a giggle or two ;-)
Write them down. And refer
to them often. It’s also a great idea to keep them in a visible place… in
your office, or taped on the bathroom mirror or your closet door.
Remember you can never make an affirmation for
another person. As much as we might want to make
positive statements about another person in the hopes of changing them to fit
our expectations, we must learn, immediately, that we can never change another
human being. We only have control to change ourselves.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Let go of your expectations. ...of yourself and others. Life can get in the way of life…it can get in
the way of our affirmations. Trying to control everything that happens in
your lives will not bring us closer to attaining our goals or affirmations any
sooner. In fact, it might actually hinder you. If you are
constantly focused on a particular obstacle or occurrence that goes against your
affirmations, you will surely lose focus. Stay open, be free and accept
what life brings to us, even its’ challenges. This way you are able to
continue to focus on what IS positive in your life. And affirmations are
ALWAYS positive!
Several of you have asked for this in print. Here you go!
