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The globally renowned spiritual master and humanitarian Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar gives a rather transformative and deceptively simple morning ritual to change the way you approach your day. He says, “There is a word in Sanskrit called ‘Pratasmaraniya’ that is ‘one who is worth remembering in the morning.’ We should start our day by remembering the great ones, so the mind gets attuned to the higher consciousness.” Thinking of great minds first thing in the morning elevates our mind too. By focusing on individuals who embody positive qualities, we can subtly influence our own thoughts and actions to be just as positive and meaningful.
This is not about superficial positive thinking but connecting with a higher consciousness that aligns our minds to a greater vision or purpose. When you do that, the mind then doesn’t get stuck in trivial matters, ultimately helping you focus on the things that really matter to you.
Though not every morning begins like a song. Sometimes there’s a child to send to school, a big deadline to finish, or a body that is unwilling to leave the covers. The first few minutes after we wake up are more important than we have ever known. They decide the tone of our day, the predominant mindset and this is irrespective of what may come your way during the day. In those first moments of waking lies an incredible opportunity, a chance to decide how you’re going to show up to the day. And so we choose wisely.
Affirmations are not just the sweet self-help one-liners anymore. They are backed by solid neuroscience research.A 2016 study published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience found that self-affirmation activates the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain involved in self-related processing and reward. Why is this so important because this activation helps people rewire how they perceive threats and stressful experiences with more balance. Another study from Carnegie Mellon University showed that individuals who practiced self-affirmation had lower cortisol responses, signalling lower stress and performed better under pressure, such as during public speaking or exams (Creswell et al., 2005). And these implications go deeper than just improving or regulating mood. Over time, affirmations can shift how your brain filters experiences, guiding you away from being reactive and stressed to being calmer and more balanced in your response. When spoken or expressed with attention and intention, they change how you are, what you believe and more importantly what you notice in life. As Gurudev says, “Where attention goes, that grows in life.”
These five affirmations below draw from the wisdom of yoga, breath, and stillness, that work like tuning forks for your energy, your mood, your inner voice. It goes without saying that these are the affirmations that anyone can benefit from but you can have your own, ones that cater to your deepest desires of change or achievement. I personally am also a great believer of Johnny Nash’s ‘I can see clearly now’ number. But that’s for another day.
Try the affirmations for a week. Remember or invoke these positive affirmations right before you sit for your daily meditation or prayer. A very powerful way to manifest them into your life, Gurudev suggests, is- take a deep breath in; remember the intention or affirmation; as you breathe out surrender the intention to the divine or the universe or any higher power that you believe in.
We often wake carrying the emotional leftovers of the previous day, an unresolved conversation, a half-read news story, an email that sets off a spiral. This mantra invites you to drop anchor before the winds pick up.
Stillness is not something you chase. It’s something you settle into. You cannot and do not have to control what’s outside. You simply have to pause. Stillness is like the butterfly that chooses you when you aren’t chasing it.
Try saying it right after you wake up in bed. Let your spine rise and your breath slow. If your mind starts racing ahead, just return to the phrase.
It sounds simple, but most of us are disconnected from our breath within minutes of waking. We jump straight into the day, playing catch up. We get into planning mode and then into action. But the breath holds all the secrets to a peaceful you, a calmer nervous system. The rhythm in your breath can set your emotions right, give you the clarity you need and give you access to enormous energy, positivity and enthusiasm.
This affirmation is less about words and more about listening. Say it once, then place your hand on your belly and follow your breath. Simply observe how it expands and releases without needing your control. We don’t even realize but each breath is connected to a specific emotional rhythm. You breathe a certain way when you are happy, or sad or peaceful. Now it’s time to reverse this! You can have a say over how you feel by having a gentle prayerful way of learning how to breathe, by being one with it.
Want to learn more? The Breathwork & Meditation Retreat guides you in proven breathing techniques and deep meditation practices that calm the mind, restore energy, and promote emotional balance.
Affirmations are not about being fake, or overlooking how messy our life sometimes gets. Some mornings are less than perfect. But even in those spaces, there’s something inside you that remains strong, resilient and capable of managing the mess. With this affirmation, we simply invoke that strength from within. And indeed, more than your talent, skills, and other qualities, what will make you a winner in life is Showing Up no matter what! You can learn a skill if you don’t have it, you can develop and hone your talent but if you are someone who shows up no matter what, you can have all of the above.
This one is an antidote to the subtle pressure we often don’t realize we’re waking into, which is the pressure to be better, more productive, or more peaceful even. This affirmation is a whisper that reminds you- you are not missing out. There is no end to how much more peaceful, how much better, how much wealthier or how much smarter one can get. But if you can be content, chances are you would be already happier! Remember, you are not broken and you don’t have to earn your rest or your joy. Just as you are, you bring a light to this world that nobody else can. As a wise one has said, “God loves you so much that when he made you, he broke the mold.” And so there’s no one like you and most importantly you are enough.
Even in a culture that thrives on striving, you can choose to begin your day from a place of sufficiency and contentment. This affirmation is not about never growing. It’s about growing without the weight of inadequacy on your shoulders.
You may have watched this film called ‘Thank You, More Please!’ starring Josh Radnor. It talks about making this powerful affirmation. These words are unique because how can you ask for more when you are thanking someone! It seems confusing. And yet you can. Imagine you are a child, showing your most sincere gratitude for something you received from your parents that you had long wanted, and just like a child you ask your parents (universe) to give you more of the good stuff-.more of the joy, more of the feeling of gratefulness, more of the ability to love others unconditionally, and more smiles to share! The universe being the loving parent it is, will happily serve you more. All it requires is you to have total faith and trust in the knowledge that you will get the best it has to offer. Do not doubt the universe or Divine one bit. With such total faith, affirmations manifest in no time.
You can begin with writing down what you are grateful for and what you’d like to have from the universe. And simply offer it up to it, with the innocence of a child. And see the magic unfold!
Having these little affirmations in life can play a big role in changing the very quality of your life, though not overnight. Over time they do something more subtle and more long-lasting. You will see, you have started becoming more observant of the beauty around you, you will start observing your emotions better, being more peaceful, aware and content.
And that, really, is the heart of any spiritual practice- not to have you escape the world, but to empower you to move through it with more presence, more grace, and more light of the Self.