Positive Thinking & The Role Of Yoga

According to "Sivananda Yoga's Teacher Training Manual," positive thinking is an equal part of the five essential points of yoga. They are: asana, breathing, relaxation, positive thinking and meditation and proper diet. If you are considering yoga to improve your mood or your outlook on life, you will soon find that yoga is inviting you to look at yoga as a whole lifestyle. You can then look at your whole lifestyle through the lens of yoga.

Off the Mat

You must not be disconnected from your practice. Do not go to class and then leave and wait for something in your life to get better. There is always an element of discipline in life and in yoga. Yoga practice leads to changes in which negative emotions are replaced by positive emotions, according to Bhole Prabhu, writing on the website SwamiJ.com . When you go to your mat, leave everything behind. However, when you leave your mat, take everything that happens there with you. Negative thinking can most definitely be controlled by deepening our mind-body connection. There is an underlying calm within us waiting to be discovered.

The Power Within

Bhole Prabhu explains essential yoga in his article entitled "The Meaning and Purpose of Yoga." Although yoga is an ancient system for well-being, the more modern our world becomes, the more relevant it becomes.
"If we really consider how we learn in the modern world, we realize that despite all our emphasis on education, our education is one-sided and shallow. We may learn to memorize equations and facts, but we do not really learn to understand and develop our own inner life. Our minds remain scattered and our emotions persist as negative, conflicting forces. We are able to use only a small portion of our mental abilities, because we are preoccupied with confusion, fear, and inner conflict. Meditation helps us to overcome these limitations; it helps us to become aware of the subtler and more positive powers within."

Peel off the Layers

Asana practice helps us release emotions that can become stuck throughout the body. Hips become tight when emotions are held in and not allowed to flow through us. Yin yoga is especially effective for emotional release, as each asana is held for three to eleven minutes. Moving the body improves the state of mind. Erich Schiffman has this to say in his beautifully titled book "Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness": "The more balanced you are, the more centered you will be. The stronger you are, the lighter you will feel. And the more flexible you are, the harder it is for pain and tension to lodge in your body. In becoming balanced, strong and flexible, you actually, erase all the tensions and internal conflicts that would otherwise accumulate and eventually erupt as discomfort or pain in your body and life."

Benefits

Keep moving around, doing inverted poses or spending time in forward bends. Yoga improves our ability to flow physically and mentally. The five points of yoga outlined by Swami Sivananda form a simple, natural system for well-being. Eating a healthy diet makes us feel positive. If we keep energy flowing through the body, we flow easily through life. Breathing and opening up will invite positive experiences and leave you feeling rejuvenated.

Effects

Eat healthy, fresh and nutritious foods, and you feel good. What could be a more perfect way to describe the yogic diet? According to the Sivananda Manual, "Optimum utilization of food, air, water and sunlight is essential."
Can yoga influence our ability to remain positive? Yes! Imagine how you feel when you wake up the morning after eating and drinking too much. Imagine the worst hangover ever. You can't even lift your head up. Then sit down on the floor in an easy pose and place your hands on your head in prayer. Close your eyes and notice how this position of honoring yourself feels. It's good, isn't it? Now, imagine the long-term energetic, physical and mental effects of each behavior over a lifetime. It's up to us to cultivate positive thinking and a positive lifestyle, and yoga is all about just that.