Just like a train travelling at high speed, our minds can move so fast, the world outside becomes a confusing blur. When this happens, it’s easy to lose ourselves in drama and forget that we’re the creators of our own lives. Learning how to observe your thoughts slows the train so that you can hop off and step into clarity.
Witnessing thoughts is at the heart of yoga practice. Postures, breathing, and meditation lead to observing the natural flow of your mind, without being disturbed or distracted. Peace begins to seep in through the chaos, which builds the foundation for overall wellbeing.
Learn how to deal with stress
Stress is often the result of becoming entangled in drama, much of which only resides in our minds – this leads to anxiety and the inability to focus on positive outcomes. With yoga and meditation, you constantly bring your attention to your breath, instead of letting your thoughts run wild.
By allowing your mind to settle and emotions to subside, you’re able to view your thinking patterns clearly. How are they making a situation worse? Are you projecting into the future, rather than simply dealing with the present? How might you reframe your thinking to find the best outcome?
When you can see the quality of your thoughts, you become less reactive to stress and, instead, learn to respond with more understanding, compassion, and courage. Not only does this reduce the impact of turmoil on your physical body, but it also enables you to harness a deep inner strength to confidently deal with any situation.
Gain a positive mindset
Quite often, the way we feel about something is the direct result of our perceptions, rather than reality. If you allow your thoughts to go on a rampage of self-criticism, doubt, and fear, it’s easy to develop a mindset of the same. This, in turn, can tarnish your perception of the world in general.
With observation, it’s possible to catch negative thoughts as they flit into your consciousness before they do any damage. Rather than suppressing them, you gain the power to challenge their validity. Writing them down also helps identify any patterns or triggers to help break the cycle.
Like any form of training, the more you practise thought awareness, the stronger you’ll become. Before long, catching negative thoughts and reframing them towards better outcomes leads to a positive mindset and increased wellbeing.
Appreciate the present moment
When you sit down to eat a piece of fruit, you can either enjoy the flavour or barely notice it as you swim in a jumble of thoughts. This applies to everything in life, including our yoga practice, as we lose touch with our senses in favour of constant mind theatrics.
Learning how to breathe, slow down and observe your thoughts gives you the ability to sink into the present so you can fully enjoy life’s little pleasures. Expand your world further towards positive experiences for yourself and others, and fully embrace wellbeing.