We have the best of intentions with vision boards capturing what it is we want and affirmations to remind us of it. We watch enlightened films on attracting what we want, but somehow what we want is still out of our grasp. The reason why may surprise you. It is because part of you is pushing away all that you are calling in.
In yoga and meditation, we call that part of you that pushes away what you are calling in your subconscious mind. The yogis say that unprocessed thoughts that we are exposed to go into the subconscious mind, which while being incredibly vast, does fill to capacity. When that happens, the subconscious thoughts – thoughts that really are not ours to begin with and do not represent our true intentions – begin clouding our unconscious thoughts, manifesting in strange dreams, odd behaviors or physical conditions.
The remedy here is meditation, which acts like spring-cleaning for the house of the mind. Each time we sit to meditate we are going deep into the cabinets, pulling out what is no longer needed and taking out the trash of the subconscious. This is why stuff starts coming up during meditation – not because we have to revisit it, but just because it is on its way out. Sometimes this is where people stop with meditation because they get overwhelmed at what begins emerging, but this is just the time to keep going, trusting that you will be brighter and lighter for it.
Through meditation we work to remove subconscious thoughts that sabotage our best efforts to draw to us that which we desire. We can begin catching ourselves in the ways that we push away or withdraw from what we are working to call in.
We begin hearing the quiet thoughts that are saying we are not deserving of what we want or that we are being greedy, needy – you name it – to ask for something our hearts really desire. The good news is, once we hear those thoughts, we can address them. I love using mantra practice to break up those old thoughts.
One mantra I use all the time is Sat Nam, which means “I am Truth” or “my True Identity.” When I start thinking something negative about myself, I say this mantra mentally to the thought itself. When I remind myself that my true identity is beyond any limiting thought, then it is almost impossible to feel insignificant! Even one recitation of the mantra is enough to break up the flow of that thought, and with enough practice, the negative self-talk becomes quieter and quieter. It is helpful to have a mantra to chant as part of your meditation practice that you can also use to stop the negative self talk thought train when it rounds the corner.
Another benefit of meditation is that we begin to experience ourselves as something more than just the physical and the mind. We begin to relate more and more to our souls. Our soul is so vast and so capable of meeting what it needs. When we know ourselves as our souls, we expand into that vastness and our reach and our impact become far more significant. We expand our energy, our electromagnetic field, and in this state, we are naturally more magnetic in attracting what it is that we need. Here we can escape the mind’s many wants and can focus instead on the soul’s true needs.
When we know what we truly need, instead of just what we think we want, we become even more effective in our manifestation.
When we know what we want we can get clearer and more focused in our manifestation. For instance, if we needed a new car, we could find the exact type of car we felt we needed and focus on that. if we want to attract a soul mate, we can meditate on the qualities we seek in a partner (and in ourselves). If we want to attract a promotion at work or a new job, we can focus on the qualities of life that those circumstances would entail, such as fulfillment in a position, or a work/life balance that is more suited for our personality. The more focused we become, the more the Universe knows we mean business. It is always helpful to ask for whatever we discovered as our focused need and add “or something better.” We will not be disappointed by whatever it is we attract by giving the Universe a chance to do what is best for us, and others, without our attachment to a specific outcome.
With the mind clear from meditation, we find a deep peace and an immense gratitude with everything we already have. That gratitude is one of the most potent magnets for whatever it is we are calling in.
If we want a deep, loving relationship, we can be grateful for every loving relationship we currently have in our lives.
If we want nicer belongings, we can love and care for the belongings we already have. This approach to focusing on what is keeps us from focusing on what is lacking. We cannot pull in something that is not already there, so instead we can focus the mind on what we already have which will attract more of the same.
Try this -- each time a thought of lack surfaces and the self-pity begins, shift your thinking to what is already in your life. It is amazing how empowering and enjoyable this practice is!
We all have so much to be grateful for, so spending some time each day saying thank you to the people in our lives, ourselves and the Universe is key to any practice of manifestation and to the enjoyment of life.
Kundalini Yoga can be another great way to remove what is blocking the manifestation of the life we want to live. One of my favorite practices is called the Meditation for Overcoming Self Animosity. I’ve provided an instruction video below that you can follow along.
To do this mediation, you curl all your fingers but the thumbs into fists. The thumbs are extended and pointing straight up. You then hold the hands and thumbs together in front of the heart and gaze the eyes down to the tip of the nose. Then begin breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, then in through the mouth out through the nose. Repeat this sequence back and forth, breathing for 3 minutes.
Check out the video below to practice it with me. Thank you and Sat Nam!
