The Power of Affirmation

Affirmations help you tap into the power of the mind. For thousands of years, great teachers have espoused the importance of thoughts. The thoughts that you think trigger a domino effect that shapes your external world. Your thoughts can serve you or they can destroy you.

When I started teaching yoga and meditation, I had the recurring limiting thought, “You’re not good enough.” This thought was always lurking around inside of my mind, sometimes stealthily in the background, and other times blatantly in the foreground. This thought triggered a belief within myself that was majorly holding me back, because I wasn’t stepping into my power.

Fortunately, I became aware of this and knew I had some work to do, because I wasn’t about to settle for a mediocre performance and life. Something in me knew that I was capable of so much more, of truly being Ultimate! I would never get others to believe in themselves if I couldn’t even believe in myself.

Instead of not being good enough, I started working with the affirmation, “You are connected to GREATNESS and have so much to GIVE!!!” This became my Nike slogan, and I repeated it thousands of times while I was walking, while I was driving, while I was waiting in line, while I was meditating, and even while I was sleeping. I drove that thought and belief deep into the soil of my mind, until that was the signal being broadcast to all 50 trillion cells in my body.

Interestingly enough, this is when my career really began to take off. This affirmation empowered me in a new kind of way, and created all sorts of opportunities like leading retreats and teacher trainings, teaching internationally, and making a myriad of yoga DVDs. Without an affirmation and a clear vision, you are like a boat without a rudder. Find your affirmation, align to that affirmation like your North Star, and captain your ship towards the life of your dreams!

Practice Tip: Write out an affirmation that lights you up! When you write and say this affirmation, you should feel a charge throughout your entire nervous system. Throughout your day, repeat your affirmation like your life depended on it. When you are in public, say it silently. When you are alone, say it out loud. You can even chant it or sing it.

FYI, my current affirmation is I AM HEALTHY! I AM WEALTHY! I AM FULL OF LOVE!!!

Find out about Travis Eliot’s program at Kripalu, The Ultimate Yogi.

This article was originally published on Travis’s website.