Energy of Positive Thinking: Empower Your Mental Wellness

My Yoga Online - The concept of positive thinking and affirmations is a popular topic throughout the media and mainstream self-improvement channels. We will discuss how intentional modifications of thought processes actually help us to improve quality of living.

Thoughts can be viewed as a system of processing information and extracting neural data from our memory stores. For most people, very few thoughts actually coincide with the action that is occurring in the present. The mind is wandering and distracted by thoughts of the past or the future. These waves of irrelevant thoughts can be easily tainted with negative attributes fueled by the Ego: anger or resentment from past interactions, jealousy or envy from unfulfilled desires, worry or anxiety from future events.

By addressing these negative thought patterns and modifying the resulting manifestations, we can avert a cascade of negative energy on the body and mind.

When the mind is saturated with negative thinking, these thoughts gradually manifest into the physical as dysfunction. Negative thoughts are often accompanied by stress. The brain releases specific stress-response hormones to facilitate reactions in body necessary to react to this stress. If the negative thoughts and stress remain constant, these hormonal reactions generate chronic strain on the organs and physical systems.

By tuning into our response systems, we can clearly recognize the signs of this harmful cascade of negative energy. We can experience many health conditions like muscle tension, headaches, poor sleep and fatigue, poor digestion, weight gain, high blood pressure and circulatory problems, poor breathing patterns, and organ dysfunction like diabetes.

Instead of waiting for these negative health conditions to arise, we can monitor our thought patterns through the other path of manifestation-our emotions. Our inner and outer emotions immediately reflect our current thought patterns and are an indication of eventual physical manifestations.

When our emotions turn negative, heavy, and burdensome, we can stop, take a deep breath and simply reflect. What has generated this emotion? What thought has taken hold to create this toxic mental state? By just reflecting, we often observe this thought (and emotion) dissipate and loose its’ hold on the mind and body. Through practice and discipline, we can more readily remain in a sattvic state (one of harmony, calm, and presence).

Here are some suggestions in supporting the practice of positive thought generation:

*Address your environment and the stimuli that are entering the mind. Avoid places and interactions that are filled with negative energy. Newspapers, gossip columns, and radio/TV news thrive on negativity. Surround yourself by a network of positive-minded people. Reduce your interaction with relationships that foster thoughts and actions that flow against your positive intentions.

*Start and end your day with a simple pause allowing time to reflect on appreciation. Take note of several things you are truly thankful for. Sincere expression of appreciation is a powerful tool to facilitate positive thought processes and generate a sense of fulfillment in the moment.

*Speak only when it improves upon silence. This subtle, yet powerful Buddhist phrase says it all. Speech is another physical manifestation on thought. Controlling our words trains our thought processes. If a conversation can not be steered to a positive tone, end the conversation.

*It is what it is. See the world with less judgment. Judgment is another toxic element of negative thinking. Practice finding the ‘good’ in everything. Experience the freedom of releasing established biases and expectations. Often when we judge, we too have issues with being judged. A non-judging mind becomes free of the ‘eyes’ of the outside world and we begin to live within ourselves and not through others.

*Engage in lifestyle habits that support healthy thinking. Regular exercise, proper rest, meditation, proper nutrition plans, and uplifting activities help keep the mind fresh and expressive with positive energy. Also consider how you can modify your work environment with changes like taking more consistent breaks to proper work ergonomics.

*Get things done and organized. Just as thoughts manifest into the physical, the physical environment manifests back into the mind. Finish incomplete projects. Organize your home and workspace. An environment that is unorganized or filled with incomplete tasks has a burdening effect on the nervous system. Declutter and make your environment flow with spacious, positive energy. Clean out closets and cupboards so the first and last thing you see in the day is organization and order. This physical order supports mental calmness and control of emotions.

Rather than trying of purge negative thoughts, focus more on generating positive interactions and expressions. This aspect of sankulpa (the practice of establishing an intention) attracts further positive thoughts and experiences. With this shift into harmonious thinking, the physical manifestations are seen and experienced by others. We begin to attract more people with like minds and intentions. Again, the key element is reflection and observation. What are our emotions saying about our thoughts? Use your emotions as a tool. Breathe new life in your thinking and experience the freedom of positive thought energy.

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