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Affirmation Meditation is a more vigorous technique that requires you to use your mind consciously and actively.
An affirmation is a statement of truth. More relevantly to us, an affirmation is used by followers of personal development and various religious faiths in the belief that what is stated, even if not currently true, will have an effect on the current and future reality and eventually manifest in the real world. Therefore in Affirmation Meditation you will be making statements of truth or intentions.
How this appears to work for the individual is that an affirmation (here, just a positive statement, whether currently true or not) will affect one’s self-perception and, in turn, one’s self-image. Basically, if you tell yourself that you are a positive, healthy person, this will enhance your self-image far more desirably than telling yourself that you are a negative, unhealthy person. In turn, how you see yourself will directly influence how others see you, thereby confirming the success of the affirmation. By using Affirmation Meditation you can establish a strong self-image and project that strength outwards.
Used in conjunction with and in order to create a meditative state repeated affirmations will begin to work directly on the subconscious mind from the beginning.
The first step is to get clear about what you want to affirm. Start with a single affirmation that states what you want out of life clearly and concisely. Some examples might be to improve your performance in sparring or generate more energy or increase your level of concentration. When you have an idea the next step is to write it down.
Let's take generating more energy as an example to work with.
Precisely how you state your affirmation can vary and you should experiment to find the method that suits you best. One approach is to simply say the word ‘energy’. You can develop this into ‘I want more energy’. Personal development teachers such as Tony Robbins go further and argue that stating the affirmation in the present tense (that is, as if it were currently true) will produce better results. Therefore your affirmation would become ‘I am more energetic’. Some teachers such as Michael Losier on the other hand suggest a couple of different variations; either to use the prefix ‘I’m in the process of...’ (so, ‘I’m in the process of becoming more energetic’) or the prefix ‘I have decided...’ (‘I have decided I am more energetic’). My own personal approach to affirmations is inspired by Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich and I state not only my desired result but also what I am doing to bring about my goal in the present continuous tense. My affirmation on generating more energy would therefore be something like ‘I am eating healthy food, getting enough rest and stimulating my mind to become more energetic’. Precisely which approach you use is up to you. I have simply given you a few ideas. Find the one that best suits you.
Once you have written out your affirmation and committed it to memory you can begin your practice of Affirmation Meditation. This is achieved by continuously repeating your chosen affirmation aloud until you enter a meditative trance. Continue to speak your affirmation and allow your mind to become empty of everything but the sound of your voice and the words you are saying. Do this for 5-10 minutes once or twice a day. When you have finished take your time, as always, to allow your mind to move out of the trance. Move your body gently and take a moment to mentally examine yourself. How do you feel? Get in touch with yourself and seek to distinguish your mental state before and after meditation.
You can cater your affirmations to any aspect of your training or, indeed, your life. Affirmation Meditation is a great way of keeping your mind focused on your goals and it can also act like as a chant or mantra to concentrate your mind, eventually bore it, and allow you to enter a deep meditative trance, achieving a shift from left to right hemisphere dominance.
