Articles About the My Experiments Program
How to Affirm
An affirmation is a statement of truth spoken repeatedly to instill right thoughts in your consciousness. Eventually, with repeated practice of a particular affirmation, you can have a flash of intuitive realization of the truth of those words—a life-changing experience.
The best times to practice are right after waking up and just before going to bed. These are also excellent times to meditate, and affirmations are most effectively practiced as part of your meditation period. The body and mind tend to be refreshed first thing in the morning, and the first thoughts of the day have an impact on how the rest of the day goes. Our predominant thoughts and feelings before sleep carry into the subconsciousness of sleep, so practicing affirmations at that time adds to the benefit.
The posture recommended for meditation is also best for affirming. Calmness of body and mind is conducive to concentration, which is needed as much for practicing affirmations as it is for meditating. Posture helps to promote the necessary calmness and concentration.
Sit still with the spine straight, your head upright, and your hands on your thighs or in your lap with the palms up. Close the eyes and raise them gently, without straining or crossing them, to the “horizon” of the eyebrows. This takes some getting used to. The eyes will probably be fidgety at first, so be patient. With practice they will eventually become still.
The position of the eyes is an aspect of affirming that is not generally spoken about. Lifting the eyes so that you’re "gazing" at the point between the eyebrows will help you tap into the superconsciousness of your soul, adding a power to your practice that leads to spiritual realization. When you have an intuitive flash of realization that the affirmation is indeed a statement of truth, then any belief contrary to that truth is displaced from your conscious and subconscious minds. Now fully awake in the superconscious mind, the truth becomes entrenched in your subconscious mind and is readily available to the conscious mind when needed. You will certainly get results when the superconscious mind enters into your practice.
Repeat your chosen affirmation mentally or, if possible, aloud and then more and more softly until you're repeating it mentally only.
To help energize your affirming, smile—even a slight upturning of the corners of your mouth will suffice—and consciously inject enthusiasm into your repetition of the affirmation. Your positive attitude will make the process much more enjoyable and effective. The more you affirm with concentration and enthusiasm, the quicker new beliefs will take hold and loosen the grip of any negative conscious and subconscious beliefs about yourself and the world. These negative beliefs are what hold you back and keep you from progressing.
When affirming, think of yourself as already being, doing, or having whatever statement of truth you are repeating. You, as the soul, already are or do or have what you are affirming. If the affirmation is visual, or lends itself to associated positive images, experiment with visualizing while you are affirming. A visual image will add power to your practice.
Repeat as long as you can, increasing the depth of your concentration and feeling as you go along. Repetition, combined with concentration and enthusiasm, leads to deeper levels of understanding and realization. They help you tap into your innate power and manifest the truth that you’re affirming.
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