The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are widely regarded as the authoritative text on yoga, often used to guide contemporary yoga practices. In my time training to be a yoga teacher, we spent a great deal of time studying the sutras.
The sutras are not just for contemplating your practice on the mat. They are also highly effective taking outside the mat, in your work-life, in leisure time, in your roles as a partner, friend, parent, student, manager, co-worker, etc.
Today in the last class of our New Beginnings Yoga Flow series, we looked at the Yoga sutra 2.33: called Pratipaksha Bhavanam. Roughly translated as “Respond To Negative Thoughts And Patterns By Thinking And Doing The Opposite.”
The yogis have been doing this for centuries, modern science refers to the practice of pratipaksha bhavanam, as “cognitive reframing” or “reappraisal”.
When negative thoughts come (and they will, we are human) we should acknowledge them – don’t beat yourself up for having them– re-frame those thoughts.
Over the course of a single day, we put out roughly 70,000 thoughts. These thoughts become our essence. If your thoughts are positive and loving and kind, then that is who you become. But if your thoughts are negative, dark and unhappy, that is also who you become. This simple yogic technique will manifest and transform your personality.
They see that positivity is always a choice. So is your glass half full or half empty? Or are you just grateful that you have a glass?