Whenever possible, thinking joyous, happy and harmonious thoughts support our well-being. Practising meditation is a good way to guide our mind towards the positive. If you practise in the morning, the effects should remain with you all day. You can also repeat a positive affirmation throughout the day.
Alan McMahon, fairly new to Yoga and meditation, accepted this challenge and agreed to concentrate on a quality over a two weeks window. He had to dedicate time every day to repeat a short positive statement during the day and then ending his day with a short meditation on that thought, I meet each situation with a cheerful mind.
Here are his thoughts….
“I recently undertook a two-week challenge – to start and finish each day with a period of mental focus on a positive intention : “I meet each situation with a cheerful mind”. I have not tried anything like this before, and decided that I would also find 15 mins each day to meditate, during which time I would concentrate on my breath, reflect on the statement, and consider my ‘performance’ towards that goal. After a couple of false starts, I realised that – if you want to retain focus – you need to create an environment which is free from all distractions. Sights, sounds, and smells are all capable of taking your mind away from the intended thoughts, so these need to be minimised.
Two weeks later, I believe I have learned three valuable lessons. The first is that – to my surprise – I am able to focus on a positive statement without feeling restless or that ‘I should be doing something else’ for periods up to, and beyond, 15 minutes. This was a very pleasing revelation – perhaps mediation, and associated techniques, is for me after all! The second was that by focussing on one positive intention, it highlighted another aspect of my character that I’d like to improve on, and my awareness of this has been a regular feature of my thought patterns. How valuable is that? Lastly, I realise my journey with this type of practice has just begun and I’m keen to see what else it may reveal.”
Why not try something similar for yourself and see what you learn?
Violette Yoga 