The Power of Affirmations

Introduction

Like many of us with a meditation practice I have heard about affirmations and how they can be lifechanging.  I was introduced to the concept about 10 years ago by an acupuncturist who was treating my arthritis.  She is a holistic doctor who taught me that treating the mind and spirit is just as is important as treating the physical body, if not more.  She suggested I read up on Louise Hay, a popular motivational writer and the New Age guru of positive affirmations.   I signed her book, Heal Your Body, out of the library.  It did not float me, to be honest, but it opened a new line of thinking.

As time went by the concept of setting affirmations would crop up here and there, but never really gelled until I discovered yogini Kassandra Reinhardt via her YouTube channel, Yoga with Kassandra.  Kassandra offers a lot of yin practices on her channel and is fond of incorporating positive affirmations.  With this gentle introduction, while I'm in a calm and receptive position, the affirmations started to make sense.  The long, introspective holds in the yin style provided the perfect seedbed for Kassandra's gentle, positive statements to become rooted.  They felt soothing and nourishing.  

Putting Affirmations to Use

I've been in a state of torpor lately.  In an odd twist of fate, I've been struggling with our emergence from the COVID cocoon.  How can that be?  Having many restrictions lifted, being able to go to more places and enjoy more entertainment, should be celebratory!  Maybe some of us are a little afraid, or maybe we've become a little vulnerable and soft from living such sheltered lives.  My own family grief feels raw again.  The holes in our lives, those empty spaces, are glaringly evident.  In any event - the healthy habits I normally incorporate kept slipping, and I kept not caring.  Meh to the kale smoothies.  A healthy juice or smoothie makes me feel good, but that requires getting out the blender, washing and prepping the produce, YAWN, I'll have an English muffin with peanut butter and jelly instead.

My usual transition after work involved a little rest then getting in a workout or practicing yoga.  BLAH, that means changing clothes and doing something.  I'll lay here on the couch instead.  Hey, what goes good with that?  Chips!  "Just for this afternoon, I worked hard today and have a headache."  Which became an afternoon, and then a week, and then a month, and finally I'm pouring myself in the door after work and putting my pajamas right on.  A cycle of fatigue, brain fog, carb overload and inertia enveloped me.  My inner voice was tsk-tsking in one ear and I told it to shut up.

Fortunately, I'll never forego my Weight Watchers meetings.  Every Saturday morning the evidence was getting stronger and stronger.  Scale going up, energy going down.  Pants getting tighter and tighter; mood getting lower and lower.  Last week at my meeting I decided that in order to effectuate a change, it was time to focus on the inner Pat instead of the outer Pat.  I had to employ the tools I'm so fortunate to have in my kit: on the physical side, my WW experience, nutritional knowledge, fitness habits and cooking skills.  On the mental and spiritual side, at my disposal are my meditation practice, Reiki, spirit guides ... and my new tool, affirmations.

I was inspired to graph my focus visually and write a confirmation in line with the powers of each chakra.  In practice I select one chakra per day, declare my statement, and meditate upon it with a kind heart.

Nothing could help this endeavor more than a good Reiki session, so I called my Reiki teacher Heidi.  At my request Heidi cleansed my chakras, balanced them, and then infused each with my affirmations.  I felt uplifted.  I experienced a lightness of heart that I hadn't felt in a long while.  Heidi determined that my root and heart chakras were in a dormant state.  She spent some extra time on these areas and tested all the chakras with a pendulum.  It all made sense - my root chakra most definitely stuck (to the couch) and my heart, probably closed up in protection like a clamshell, contributed to the malaise.  She recommended giving extra attention to my heart chakra in practice, and incorporating the use of oracle and tarot cards.  We chatted about my connection with beloved spirit family and ancestors, and she suggested practicing distant Reiki meditation with them to facilitate better communication.  Why didn't I think of that?!  And importantly - saying the affirmations aloud gives them greater power.

Interestingly, the morning I began this practice I was nudged to reflect upon a card.  The card I drew was the Ten of Wands.  The man is carrying a heavy burden and appears to be struggling under its weight.  Viewed in a positive light, he is moving toward the village where he will lay down his cumbersome bundle and achieve his goal.  To me it is a signal that yes, I have burdens to carry, but there is an end in sight and I'm moving toward the place where I can drop these heavy rods with a sigh of relief.  

Heidi's further suggestion was to draw the card every morning, acknowledge any thoughts it brings up, then leave it out and revisit it before bed.  How did the day correlate with the morning's experience?

I'm ready to get to work.  For my distant Reiki session I put together a cluster of energy transmitting crystals including golden healer, celestite, amethyst, tourmalated quartz (center) and spirit quartz (front).  

To experience some of Kassandra Reinhardt's affirmation practices:

Guided Morning Meditation with Positive Affirmations

Guided Evening Meditation with Affirmations