By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, YACEP
Practicing meditation and affirmations are two of the most powerful ways to change lives, but there is a growing body of medical research supporting the benefits of affirmations and meditation. As a result, meditation has been shown to help with stress relief, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Of course, affirmations have been shown to improve self-esteem, reduce stress, and increase feelings of well-being.
About the Results
There are many mental and emotional benefits to practicing meditation and affirmations. Meditation can help to clear your mind, focus your thoughts, and reduce stress and anxiety. Affirmations can help to boost your self-confidence, improve your mood, enhance positive emotions, and increase your motivation. Both meditation and affirmations can help you to feel more calm, relaxed, and in control of your life.
How Meditation and Affirmations Work Together
The conscious mind, or the logical, thinking part of the brain, does tasks, such as solving math problems or reading maps. It represents the moments when the brain waves are in a beta state or wide awake. This is the time when the mind is focused, tense, alert, or worried; and it can hold no more than six or seven pieces of information at one time.
About the Subconscious Mind
Of course, the subconscious mind is the part of the brain that makes associations and determines reactions. It contains fear, wishes, worry, habits, and personality traits. The conscious mind, in a waking state, does not easily allow access to the subconscious. For affirmations to be effective, they must bypass the conscious mind and enter the subconscious mind.
Suggestions During Relaxed States
Additionally, the subconscious is most susceptible to suggestions when relaxed, or just before falling asleep, or waking up – the alpha and theta brainwave states. Since it cannot distinguish between reality and fantasy, the subconscious can be successfully re-programmed with affirmations and visualizations at these times.
When to Practice Affirmations
There is no one perfect time to practice affirmations. However, the best time to practice affirmations is first thing in the morning, before you start your day. This sets the tone for the rest of the day and helps you focus on what you want to achieve. It’s also a good idea to practice affirmations before going to bed so that you can fall asleep with positive thoughts in your mind. If you find yourself struggling during the day, take a few minutes to stop and repeat your affirmations. This will help you stay on track and focused on your goals.
Increase Positivity
Meditation and affirmations are two powerful tools that can help you increase your positivity. When you meditate, you allow yourself to focus on the present moment and let go of negative thoughts. This can help you feel more peaceful and positive. Affirmations create positive thoughts that you can say to yourself in order to increase your self-confidence and happiness. Repeating affirmations regularly can help you retrain your brain to focus on the positive, which can lead to a more positive outlook on life.
Increase Self-Confidence
Affirmations and meditation are two proven ways to increase self-confidence. Meditation helps to clear the mind and focus on the present moment, which can help to reduce stress and anxiety. Affirmations create a positive internal atmosphere to train your mind for success. Repeating affirmations like “I am worthy of love and respect” or “I am powerful and capable” can help to increase your belief in yourself and your ability to achieve your goals.
https://youtu.be/yo1pJ_D-H3M
Improve Self-Esteem
Meditation and affirmations can help improve your self-esteem. If you’re constantly putting yourself down, it can be tough to see the good in yourself. However, if you take some time each day to sit quietly and focus on your breath, you can start to clear your mind of negative thoughts. In addition, repeating positive affirmations to yourself can help remind you of your worth.
Control Negative Feelings
Negative feelings can often be overwhelming and hard to control. However, meditation and affirmations can help. Meditation allows you to focus on the present moment and clear your mind of intrusive thoughts. Affirmations are positive statements that you can repeat to yourself in order to change your mindset. Both of these techniques can help you to better deal with negative feelings and take back control.
Coping with Stress
There are many ways to cope with stress, but one of the most effective is through meditation and affirmations. When you meditate, you focus your attention on your breath and allow your thoughts to flow in and out without judgment. By the same token, this can help you to detach from your stressors and gain a more objective perspective. Additionally, practicing affirmations can help to reframe your thinking and allow you to see the positive in every situation. Repeating positive statements to yourself can help to increase your overall happiness and wellbeing.
Improved Productivity
Practicing meditation and affirmations can lead to improved productivity. When you take time to meditate, you are better able to focus and concentrate on the task at hand. This improved focus can lead to increased productivity. Additionally, by affirming positive statements about yourself, you can increase your motivation and confidence. This can also lead to improved productivity as you are more likely to take action when you believe in yourself.
Improved Academic Achievement
There are many benefits to practicing meditation and affirmations. One of the most significant benefits is improved academic achievement. Studies have shown that students who practice meditation have better grades and test scores than those who don’t. Additionally, they are more likely to get into the college of their choice. Meditation helps improve focus and concentration, two essential skills for academic success. It also enhances memory and allows students to retain information more effectively.
Overcome Bad Habits
Meditation and affirmations are two powerful tools that can help you overcome bad habits. When you meditate, you focus your attention on the present moment, which can help you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings. Granted, this awareness can help you identify negative patterns of thinking that lead to bad habits. Affirmations are positive statements that you repeat to yourself, which can help to change your thinking patterns and beliefs. After all, by practicing meditation and affirmations regularly, you can break free from negative patterns of thought and behavior and create new, healthy habits.
Help in Achieving Goals
Affirmations and meditation can help you achieve your goals. When you meditate, you clear your mind of distractions and focus on what you want to achieve. This allows you to better visualize your goals and find creative ways to achieve them. Therefore, affirmations help to reprogram your subconscious mind and make it easier for you to believe that you can achieve your goals. By combining affirmations and meditation, you can increase your chances of achieving your goals significantly.
Conclusion
In addition to visualization, and traditional styles of meditation, music with binaural beats is sometimes used to induce alpha brainwaves. Inquire with local Yoga teachers about the amount of time they address meditation in a typical class. Sometimes, Yoga studios have specific meditation classes. Some audio recordings even contain subliminal affirmations. However, regardless of the style or place, everyone can benefit from practicing meditation and affirmations.
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Related Research
K W Brown, R M Ryan, The benefits of being present: mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, volume 84, issue 4, Posted: 2003
P K Hyland, R A Lee, M J Mills, Mindfulness at work: A new approach to improving individual and organizational performance. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, volume 8, issue 4, p. 576 – 602, Posted: 2015
Vestergaard-Poulsen, P., M. van Beek J. Skewes, et al. 2009. Long-term meditation is associated with increased gray matter density in the brain stem. Neuroreport 20: 170– 174.
Regardless of the style or place chosen, everyone can benefit from practicing meditation and affirmations. Nice sharing! Thanks!
I seize this opportunity to THANK YOU for your Newsletters. Although I don’t tell it often still it helps me a lot in my daily life. Thanks again. Michel
Meditation and affirmations can actually change the way the mind works. OMG – Thanks for posting and including all these instructions and valuable videos. This one article will keep me busy for weeks!