“Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.” —Mohandas K. Gandhi
Many years ago when I was in sales, I bought this cassette tape (I said many years ago) on how to be persuasive. It was all about the words we use. Nothing else. Use and instead of but; share what is possible instead of what is not; focus on what works instead of the obstacles. When I found yoga in search for a sense of peace and happiness, I found that, at the end of the day the same principles applied. With the exception that the ultimate goal was not to persuade others but to be happy with myself. Turns out I’m more persuasive being happy. Funny how that works. And when I am not, the world lets me know. A little bit of awareness opens the floodgates to messages all around us with feedback and opportunity to adjust ourselves before we stray too far.
Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words.
How do we do that?
What I found to be the most powerful tool for shifting thought and gaining control over my own thoughts is mantra. Mantra is what you say over and over again, day after day. And the essence of that single phrase repeated gets embedded vibrationally at the cellular level and becomes who we are. Examples of mantra:
Amen
Salaam Shalom
I am sensible and in control of my finances.
I am perfect just the way I am.
I’m not smart enough.
I am too old.
It’s his fault.
I’m an idiot.
I am sexy and I know it
Ek Ong Kar. Sat Nam. Siri. Wahe Guru.
And when we say, think, or feel something over and over again, it enforces the pathway towards like action.
What I like about yoga mantra is that I can stay neutral with them. I don’t have to know what Ek Ong Kar means, and when I don’t know what it means, I am less likely to project my own stuff onto it and sabotage my efforts. I can simply say it over and over again and let it do its work.
Because of its power, mantra as a spiritual practice –spiritual meaning to know oneself- is an excellent way to reduce stress and anxiety and quiet the chattery monkey mind, which can help relieve insomnia or depression. It can open up the mind to see the gifts of life. It can bring a sense of abundance, calm, neutrality, oneness, self-empowerment, connection, and groundedness, as well as enhance creativity, spontaneity and love of life. Try it.
Savitree Kaur 