Our topic for discussion today is on our thoughts. We all have them, constantly, and for many they can seemingly unwillingly and uncontrollably occupy our mind with an activity or quality that does not support our health and wellbeing.

We have heard many times over in sessions people sharing how there is a busyness in their mind and that they are not enjoying the types of thoughts that they are having.These thoughts are often repeated ones around the past, the future and in the form of concerns around work, family, relationships or health issues.

Typically those thoughts develop into anxiousness, emotional upset, lack of confidence, uncertainty, doubt and/or worry. Ultimately the feeling is that these types of thoughts erode us, affect how we feel and have a direct impact on our body, health and wellbeing.

We have also heard people share how they “need” or try to “think positive”, change their thought patterns to be ones that are uplifting rather than the negative ones that can so often haunt us in the form of judgment, criticism or comments such as “I’m not good enough”, “I feel ashamed”, “I feel guilty”, “I feel not worthy” etc.

With much discipline, we may try to change our thoughts from negative to positive ones, but does this really work? We may be able to squash and silence the negativity, the erosion for a while, but those thoughts usually creep back in and it can become a battle within to try and push them away yet again.

What if there is another way to work with negative thoughts rather than battling them with another set of thought constructs supposedly more positive?

There is another way. 

We have discussed over the years how everything is energy and as a result how everything is because of energy. Well, a thought is an energetic expression. As such if we don’t like, feel affected by our thoughts and want to change their quality or not be impacted by them, we need to look at, consider and discern the energy behind them – first of all.

We have also shared over the years how everything comes back to or down to our movements, the quality of our movements and the way we actually live. As such the quality of our movements, the way we live in all aspects of our life generate the quality of our mental activity. Therefore to change our thoughts, ultimately requires us to change our movements.

As an example, try sitting in a chair and slump down into it, – taking a “depressive posture”-  rolling your hips backward, rounding your back and slouching. Notice how this makes you feel. It won’t take long for you to actually feel a bit low in mood. Then try sitting up straight with an elongated, open and lengthened posture and now notice how you feel. Alive again, right?

The first posture described above doesn’t feel so good whereas the second more upright posture allows for more of an openness to be felt in the body. In other words, both postures (movements) affect the body very differently and generate a different quality of thoughts or mental wellbeing.

We can start to change our thoughts by learning to be present with our body in all of our movements, being gentle, nurturing and caring and by committing to life (ie, not checking out) and bringing purpose to all that we do.

Next month, we will delve further into the topic of our thoughts, looking at how to develop and maintain our mental health and harmony with our thoughts.

At Yoga & Healing, we love to work with people and support them to develop a nurturing relationship with their body and their being, all in turn empowering them to have a more nourishing quality of thoughts.

To this effect, we regularly offer 4 week online Exercise Program (focussing on developing our physical fitness) and a 6 week online Esoteric Yoga course (focussing more on developing our physiological fitness, our relationship and connection with our being).

At Yoga & Healing we offer the services of Remedial Massage, Esoteric Healing, Esoteric Massage, Connective Tissue Therapy, Yoga, Exercise and Meditation. We offer live classes and online yoga and exercise classes. We are in the business of offering support for true health and wellbeing. Contact Us.