On affirmations
Alice Barraclough tells us how powerful words can imprint positivity
Affirmations are positive phrases or statements designed to help counteract negative thoughts and habits. They often start with ‘I am’ and then state a desired outcome or feeling. For example, ‘I am enough’ or ‘I am grateful to be alive, healthy and thriving’.
‘Affirmations are special power thoughts to transform you for the better,’ writes Kate Delamere in The Little Book of Affirmations. ‘They help us to train our minds to think nothing is impossible as well as helping to remove negative thoughts.’
Affirmations are often used on retreats to help you set goals for change – most especially on yoga and life coaching retreats. I originally started practising yoga for the physical benefits and the stress relief, so when a yoga teacher first urged me on a retreat to close my eyes, take a deep breath and focus on an abstract statement, I was a little sceptical at first.
But trust me – I found that by saying, hearing or writing these positive statements on a daily basis after my retreat, they did start to become embedded in my brain as a kind of truth. They essentially retrain your beliefs and thought patterns, and gradually shift your thinking from negative or self-critical to more affirming and constructive.
The word ‘affirmation’ is from the Latin ‘affirmare’, meaning 'to make steady, strengthen’ and can be traced back to various spiritual and philosophical practices.
‘It goes back thousands of years,’ explains London-based yoga teacher Lucy Sesto. ‘Hindus and Buddhists used mantra meditation to quiet the mind, and many different ancient civilisations used these practices of affirmation in similar ways. Since then, in modern times, the effect of using affirmations has been backed up by scientists all over the world, looking at the direct outcome of using positive affirmations and brain chemistry.’
According to John Hopkins University in the US, there’s a strong link between positivity and health, with various studies revealing that a positive attitude improves life satisfaction.
Some of the benefits of using affirmations in yoga, meditation, journaling and life coaching include:
Self-confidence boost: When you repeatedly tell yourself positive things, you start to believe them, and this newfound self-belief can help you tackle challenges with more confidence.
Stress reduction: Affirmations can reduce stress and anxiety by promoting relaxation and calming the mind. Repeating affirmations can also trigger the body's relaxation response, leading to decreased stress levels.
Focus enhancement: By repeating statements related to your goals or desires, you keep your mind focused on what you want to achieve, this is especially helpful if you find your mind wanders during a yoga practice.
Our subconscious mind is most open to suggestions when it is in a relaxed or meditative state. So the next time you go on retreat, choose an affirmation that speaks to you and let the power of positive psychology work its magic.
Explore retreats that encourage affirmations
Many kinds of retreats use affirmations with great success, including yoga retreats and life coaching retreats. Use them to make a major shift in your life with Jessica McGregor Johnson in Spain or virtually, as part of a Life Makeover retreat at La Crisalida in Spain, or to help you deal with a change like menopause at Les Marguerites in France, where you will create your own set of affirmation cards.
