Although affirmations are often suggested for Personal Growth, I have discovered, that they may often backfire. I have come to realize, it is imperative to honestly investigate your TRUE FELT sense of the affirmation before you go any further working with affirmation. In other words, your honest feeling needs to ALIGN with the words you are thinking and/or speaking.
For example during a time when I was affirming “I pursue my purpose with ease” I wound up hurting my knee. There was no moving forward anywhere for me. Another time, I was working with the affirmation, “I am safe to speak my truth” and I came down with a bad sinus infection which resulted in a hoarse throat. I could barely speak at all.
Maybe you have had similar experiences. It seems to me, the affirmation could be considered a gauge that measures your true feelings. It is my belief, that this is the Universe’s way of showing us there is more personal growth to be cultivated, more internal work to be completed before we level up. The Universe REQUIRES our self honesty in order to promote us to the next level of consciousness:-) For myself, there has been plenty of times the affirmation was more like a wish rather than a truth.
To prevent the Universe from providing me with an additional lesson in FULL EMBODIED BELIEF, I now use affirmation as a practice to bring awareness to any RESISTANCE I am still holding which is preventing personal growth.So far, it seems to be highly efflective in illuminating the issues I need to examine before I am ready to step into a higher consciousness with a greater sense of FELT truth. If our thoughts,feelings, words and actions are not aligned, it has been my experience, that it can cause some suffering. Best to take a little time to get all your ducks in a row by honestly examining and exploring exactly where your personal growth spurt is being obstructed. Here is some guidance to help you to dissolve resistance around affirmation.
Tips to Dissolve Resistance
1.Say/think your Affirmation.
2.Bring your awareness to sensation in the body. What images, thoughts, feeling is arising?
3.Breathe in with intention to expand your capacity to more fully EMBODY the truth of the affirmation. Exhale the resistance.
4. Listen to understand what your body wants you to know. Jot down any insight your body offers you. (Write from the body, not from the mind.)
5.Offer compassion and/or acceptance to your Inner Child and/or body part(s). (self embrace, squeeze, tapping, holding hand to heart/belly, stretching are all really good ways to communicate this to the body/inner child)
6.Continue directing your breath to the part within that needs comfort. Remain mindful of messages.
7.Practice telling yourself a new story that is more in alignment with your affirmation. KNOW that YOU are in charge of re-writing any story or belief that no longer supports your Higher Self. Be patient with yourself. Give yourself permission to do write a new belief system for yourself.
8.Practice embodying the desired FEELING while in meditation as well as when you are out living your life and the feeling arises.
9.Bring conscious awareness to the desired feeling of the affirmation.(For example if you just set a boundary without much effort, bring your conscious awareness to the FEELING of empowerment. Acknowledge your success and give yourself a pat on the back for your growth(always celebrate your successes), Make a point to remember this success as it will encourage future success.Practice visualizing AND FEELING your Affirmation while meditating. This way, when you are in a live situation where the Universe may be wanting you to prove it, you will be ready with your embodied new feeling and belief.
Affirmations are a powerful tool to facilitate Personal Growth, just be mindful that your feelings, thoughts, words and actions are all in alignment, otherwise, things might get a little wonky:-)I’d love to hear about your affirmation experiences:-)
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The Conscious Creative Cook 