“The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” ~Albert Einstein
“As you think, so shall you be.”~ Jesus Christ, Proverbs 23:7
“Vitarka Badhane Pratipaksha Bhavanam – When thinking bad thoughts, think of something else.” ~ Yoga Sutra 2:33
Did you know that we have anywhere from 12,000 to 50,000 thoughts a day, every day? At a minimum, that is a thought every 14 seconds! Wow! It is believed that the average person has the capability of up to 60, 000 thoughts in a day, partially fuelled by the constant and immediate access we have to seemingly new information, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. With that kind of thought power, it seems like we would be a culture of high achieving, successful, efficient problem solvers, right? But we are not, and worse, we are increasingly stressed, depressed, and angry. Why?
Studies have shown that 95% to 98% of the thoughts that we have each day are the EXACT SAME thoughts we had the day before; nothing new. To make matters worse, 70% to 80% of the thoughts that we have each day are negative at best, and at worst, are NOT EVEN TRUE. That means that most of us spend our days buried in false ideas, beliefs and judgments that are simply a repetitive swirling of the false ideas, beliefs and judgments from the day before. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. No wonder we are tired and depressed.
This means that only a very few of the thoughts that we have each day have anything to do with the only thing that is true and real; the present moment. That over-analyzing, critical thinking, multi-tasking, judgmental mind that we are so proud of is actually the source of our greatest unhappiness, and compounds our deepest fears. And we know that as our thoughts go, so go our emotions, and so go our behaviors.
Here is an analogy. Think of your mind like your I-pod, with a 60,000 thought library. From day to day, the library doesn’t change much. You might add a few new songs every so often, but how often do you delete? You probably have a few playlists that are your favorites, too. Same with our thoughts. We repeat the same playlist of thoughts every day out of habit, comfort, compulsiveness, etc.
So if our library of thoughts is so full, why is it so full of negative thoughts and thoughts that are not only harmful, but not even true? Why were those even added to the playlist in the first place? Here is why, using the I-pod analogy again. Have you ever used the Genius function in I-Tunes? For a music lover, Genius is genius, really. It looks at all the songs in your library and recommends other songs that you might like based on what you already have. Our thought library is like that, too. Thoughts that match up well with our existing fears, phobias and insecurities get added to the playlist, and join in the endless loop. They play over and over in the background of our day, barely noticeable after a while, but deep down are causing profound changes in our behavior. The endless loop of negative and false thoughts over time affect how we make decisions, what risks we take, and most importantly, how we relate to others.
The fear playlist keeps you from trying new things. The self-image playlist causes you to cringe when you try on a new swimsuit or pull on your favorite jeans. The insecurity playlist keeps you from opening up to loved ones.
So what does this have to do with yoga, and how can our yoga practice help us overcome the negative thought patterns?
Yoga Sutra 2:33, sums it up. When you think negative thoughts, stop and think of something else. Seems easy enough, right? As we study this sutra, we are reminded that the ultimate purpose of yoga is to stop the chattering in our minds, good or bad. And we can use these negative thoughts as a tool in our arsenal to stop the noise. When negative thoughts come up, notice them, and witness what is happening. What cause them to escalate?
Once you notice the negative thoughts rising up, stop and take a look a closer look. Is it even true? And if it really is true, see if you can at least rephrase it into a more positive light, so that you don’t once again tumble down the rabbit hole of despair and desperation about what is wrong with you, others, your work, your home, etc.? Once we learn how to do this effectively, the bad thoughts lose their strangle hold on us and our ability to destroy our peace. At some point, maybe you can even catch these thoughts as they arise, laugh at them trying to invade your happiness, and push them away.
I have been working on this myself, under the guidance of a wise mentor. It is not easy, and sometimes quite painful. But as I become more and more skilled at noticing the negative thoughts, I am getting better at stopping them in their tracks and not letting them run amuck in my head.
When you think negative thoughts, stop and think of something else.
And why? The very next sutra tells us why. Sutra 2:34 says, “When negative thoughts or acts such as violence are done, caused to be done or even approved of, whether incited by greed, anger or infatuation, whether indulged in with mild, medium, or extreme intensity, they are based on ignorance and bring certain pain. (Emphasis mine.)
Negative thoughts = certain pain. Yeah, I’ll pass. That is worth working on.
You know by now that yoga is so much more than strong arms, long hamstrings, and bendy hips. Our yoga and meditation practice give us the tools that we need to need to stop the chatter in our heads, good and bad. And time and time again, the yoga sutras give us tools to handle ourselves mentally and emotionally. It is funny that today we wait with baited breath for Dr. Oz or Oprah or a quip from a friend on Facebook to tell us how to act, or what magic pill to take to improve our lives. Sure, these things may work, too. But I find it is comforting to know that for thousands of years people have struggled with the same things, and along the way have learned self-mastery; I don’t have to single-handedly reinvent the wheel. I just need to remind myself of the teachings, and get back on my mat, leaving the negative thoughts at the door. Try it, I promise you will like it!
