Yogic Affirmations for Life
By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
During traditional Yoga practices, students were taught to create positive thought with the power of affirmations. Saying, and thinking something, as simple as, “I am happy,” can have such a positive impact on your day. Over the centuries, Yoga teachers realized the value of affirmations, because of the way affirmations changed their lives and the lives of their students.
So, how do Yogic affirmations work? Words of encouragement are thought and then spoken. This is much similar to Japa practice (the practice of constantly repeating a mantra). One of the differences between them is that Yogic affirmations are not always spiritual.
Yogic affirmations can help us with self-worth, happiness, relationships, stress, health, or anything else. So, how can a few words of encouragement change your life? Please understand, this formula has been around for thousands of years, yet, most people do not take the action to practice Yogic affirmations.
Yogic affirmations are for noble purposes, only. Remember that negative thoughts create negative energy – becoming volatile and self-destructive. Therefore, Yogic affirmations are to be practiced only for the common good.
Here is how it works: You create and write down your realistic positive affirmation. It must be something believable, and it cannot contain any kind of negative thought. Say it to yourself, continue to think it, and meditate upon it. You will then positively act upon it, when the opportunity arises.
Finally, through daily practice, you have begun to make the affirmation become reality. So, how do you do it? Below are some examples of positive Yogic affirmations.
About Happiness: My happiness comes from within, and I will smile even in the face of adversity. I will laugh often, but not at anyone’s expense. People cannot take my happiness away, unless I give them permission.
About Failures: I will be successful, and I learn from my past mistakes. Solutions can be found in every problem, and I will move forward while focusing on solutions.
About Taking Action: I will wake up every day to take action toward my goal. My goal is a positive inspiration, which endures like an eternal fire.
About Relationships: I will shower loving kindness upon everyone I meet. My family and friends love me. They support my aspirations and always look out for my best interest.
Please note: If you feel you have good ideas, and this results in being constantly ridiculed, it is time to find a new circle of friends or a new company to work for. Most people cannot remain positive when their ideas are constantly undermined.
The number of possible positive Yogic affirmations is infinite. You are only limited by your imagination. Positive thoughts will create positive images of life. This will result in positive visualization, but you must act upon your vision to see it come to fruition.
© Copyright 2007 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
The Spirit of Compassion
by Leena Patel, E-RYT
I am frequently asked by students –
“How can I feel good when there is so much suffering and hardship that exists the world?”
The spirit of compassion is central to Yoga and Buddhism and is the essence of my teachings. Rather than aiming for spiritual perfectionism that is free of pain, addictions, mistakes or loss, I counsel my student to embrace their human-ness with all their suffering, viewing it as a tremendous opportunity to open the heart and awaken compassion within. In truth, these trials and tribulations are necessary because they are a source of energy for our actions. If we were spared these difficulties it is likely that we would become a person that perhaps is less attentive to the needs of others or more oblivious to the gifts that life bestows upon us in every moment. Karuna Yoga, as I have pioneered it, is an invitation to open to pain, your own and others, without retreating or guarding your heart. We cannot, nor should we, feel responsible for making someone else’s pain go away- for at times the struggle is part of the natural evolution of things. In Buddhism, we liken struggles to the beautiful lotus flower that blossoms only by dwelling in the muddy waters. Empathy does not entail taking on someone’s else karma, but it does ask us to dive deep into our hearts and tap into that wellspring of compassion so that we may make choices that go beyond our own needs and take action that is in service of others- choices undertaken not from guilt, anger, or self-righteousness but as the spontaneous outpouring of our hearts.
Contemplation
Contemplate the plight of people that you don’t know or have never met before. Replace their names or faces with those of your family, friends and loved ones. How does this shift your connection with them?
Leena’s mantras for living yoga with compassion:
-Live like a lotus in the muddy waters
-There is more at stake than me and you.
-Embrace your humanity in all its varying shades of darkness and light
Let’s put compassion into action and make a global impact.
Copyright 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Leena Patel is yoga and meditation teacher to Celine Dion and A New Day in Las Vegas. She can be reached at www.leenapatel.net.
Yoga Teacher Training Resources
By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
Monique Danielle is a Yoga teacher, and web designer, in Naples, Florida. She thought that you might like to know about a Free Online Yoga Library she just built called, FreeYogaBooks.com.
At FreeYogaBooks.com, you can download classic Yoga texts such as: Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad-Gita , Devi Gita, and more. If you prefer, you can read the classic Yoga books online.
Her son is helping her to populate the site as one of his home schooling projects. So far, they have, at least, 9 Free Yoga Books at their site.
They plan to have a minimum of 50 free Yoga books, articles, and lectures online by the end of January. Helping to make sacred Yoga texts readily available is their gift to the Yoga community (Karma Yoga).
If there is a Yoga book or ancient text that you would like to see at www.FreeYogaBooks.com, please let Monique know. She will see if it is available for free distribution.
If you think that FreeYogaBooks is a valuable resource, please forward this message to your students, friends, and fellow Yoga teachers.
www.freeyogabooks.com – download free yoga books
www.easyflowmeditation.com – guided meditation cd
Monique also owns www.hathayoga.net. In the near future, she is going to build a Yoga teacher directory on that site, in which Yoga teachers will be able to create a free web page in the directory. Be sure to bookmark that site, and check back every month or so.
Lastly, if you are interested in listening to music for meditation or relaxation, please visit: https://heartspring.net/meditation_music.html
This is a beautiful resource, and I often listen to music from this site when I write. You could listen to it while reading classical Yoga texts.
Om Shanti,
Paul