The practice of stilling your mind and focusing your attention can bring calm or alertness. Some forms of meditation use a mantra or saying to give the mind a break from distracting thoughts. In this state, you can use positive affirmations with purpose and awareness. However, when positive affirmations become overbearing, they create unskillful meditation. By paying attention to your reaction to your affirmation, you can gain insight without suppressing your emotions.
Affirmations and Intention
Choose an expansive affirmation. A broad phrase that does not have a specific goal or time frame can leave room for thought and interpretation. For example, the affirmation, "I will lose 10 pounds in a week," may set you up for failure, since you cannot control all the elements involved. This sentence also implies you are not as adequate as you are. Consider a broader sentence, such as, "I take good care of myself." Or, for an even bigger affirmation, use the traditional Buddhist metta meditation phrases: "May all beings be happy. May all beings be at peace."
Your Reaction to Your Affirmation
During your meditation, you will sometimes disagree with your affirmation. You may doubt whether meditation or affirmations are effective. Rather than ignoring these normal worries or suppressing your reactions, give them your kind attention. You do not need to analyze why you feel the way you do--simply feel the way you do.
According to the Insight Meditation Society, with bare attention in meditation you can expand your sense of who you are and discover inner resources to that can create change. Before you can change, you have to face your resistance to change.
Come Back to Your Affirmation
According to MayoClinic.com, the mind is easily distracted. Even after years of meditation practice, thoughts will arise to take you away from your affirmation. When you become aware that you have been lost in thought, simply bring your attention back to your phrase. Avoid judging yourself for the duration of the meditation. If you do, you can note your judgment by saying to yourself, "Judging," and then bringing your awareness back to your affirmation.
By watching your reaction to distraction, you can learn much about how you handle obstacles in life. Give yourself permission to not make any changes. Only note your thoughts, and then come back to your meditation.
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