How-To Practice Authentic Affirmation
In meditation, a technique that is often used is affirmation. This is a personal favourite of mine & if you’ve meditated with me before, you’ll notice that I incorporate them in a lot of the guided practices I teach.
Similar to mantra, it consists of repeating a phrase silently in your mind. You would pick a phrase that has deep meaning for you, and say it to yourself. With every repetition, affirming that it’s true.
An example could be this;
You’re confused about the direction of your life. You have a lot of moving parts, a lot of variables to consider, and you constantly catch yourself saying “I don’t know what to do”. In an instance like this, you could work with affirmation to shift the dialogue. Instead, choosing to say anything along these lines…
“I trust that everything will work out”
“The right path will be revealed to me”
“Everything is figureoutable”
Another example could be;
In the moments that you’re doubting your worth or stuck in a critical frame of mind. To switch gears and develop a kinder internal landscape you could affirm..
“I am entirely enough”
“I love you”
“I am confident and secure”
Affirmation has the power to form new neural pathways in your brain and reframe the way you think about specific situations. With consistent practice, you can retrain your brain to see the good, and bring reassurance in times when you’re anxious or unsure about what’s to come.
The intention here is to get into a better headspace by interrupting recurring thoughts with an alternative.
But what about the times when repeating these affirmations feel ungenuine?
“I love you” is a bold statement to make when you’ve been self-critical for years.
“I trust that everything will work out” is comical when you have no idea what ‘next’ steps to take.
“I am confident and secure” could not be more far from the truth when you’ve spent hours comparing yourself to what you see on your Instagram feed.
What if you don’t believe the words you're saying to yourself? What then?
It’s easy to verbalize the affirmations. Believing them, though, is an entirely different story.
Authentic affirmation is a topic that’s been on my mind a lot, especially when it comes to creating a meditation practice that is both nourishing and genuine.
While you may not believe it right off the bat, the key is remaining open. Being open to another way. When you’re caught in a cycle, and have been saying negative things to yourself for years, then of course this isn’t going to come right away.
But words carry energy, and that energy has the potential to shift the state you’re in.
“The words you speak become the house you live in”
- Hafiz
So start with the words. The energy will follow. And eventually, the belief.
Maybe it’s a ‘fake it till you make it’ type of situation, but I view it as an opportunity to try. Just try & adopt a different way of thinking.
Maybe you won’t believe it at first. That’s fine (and totally normal, by the way). Maybe you’ll be skeptical for YEARS until, after the thousandth repetition, you realize you believe it. Genuinely.
If we believe the negative things we tell ourselves, why would the positive be any different? It’s deep rooted, I get it. It’s also conditioning...which means it can be unlearned. Fear speaks loudly in the mind, while kindness is quieter. At the end of the day, it's a choice. Albeit a hard one to make. But knowing that it is in your control can give you a sense of power and free will.
When you think about it & break it down even more, in the times where you speak negatively about yourself or your current situation...do you believe it? Honestly. Deep down, once you peel back the layers, I’d be surprised if you did. You inherently know that you are worthy of love, and that you’ll make the right choice, and that, on some level, the Universe has your back. It’s a matter of practice and trust. Way easier said than done but worth the practice nonetheless.
Recommendations for practicing authentic affirmation...
fake it till you make it
This saying does not ring true with all situations but in this case, with enough repetition you’ll eventually start to hear truth in the affirmations themselves.
consider this; are you open to another way?
If nothing changes, nothing changes. Are you actually open to it? If you are, then great. But if you’re not, no amount of affirmation in the world will change your mindset.
keep showing up
No one is asking you to believe it at every moment of every day. Just start with the duration of your meditation’ & watch it build from there. Challenge yourself to believe it, even if it’s for 5 minutes at a time.
ask yourself;
What would the best, most authentic, vibrant version of myself believe to be true?
constant self compassion & self forgiveness
For all the times you do & don’t believe.
Was this helpful? Have questions about affirmation, meditation, or mindset? Comment below, babe. I cannot wait to chat xo