When The Mind Controls The Brain

The human mind can imagine things so vividly that the brain responds as though the imagined is actually real.

For example, we can sit in an empty room - choose a troubling thought, and feel negative emotions... just through selecting a thought.

We can also imagine a better future and feel uplifted emotions... just through thought alone.

If we are to maximize the benefit of Yoga practice, we can take advantage of the post-workout relaxation by intentionally practicing thoughts, imagined circumstances of ‘future memories’ we desire... and with our thought alone, we begin to retrain our body and our emotional centers into a better feeling, healthier loop of thinking.

Start With General Intentions

At first, a general mantra may help extend the calm experienced after Yoga.

Repeating very generalized positive intentions while taking deep slow breaths can be a powerful way to 'interrupt' the habit of returning to negative memories of yesterday and to postpone negative anticipations of future events that may be tied to past negative experiences.

May I Be Happy, May I Be Healthy, May I Be Peaceful

By repeating this mantra, you will begin to build the intention that the meditative feeling of a Yoga class can be carried forward into the rest of the day.

Just as repeated yoga practice will slowly condition the body to become stronger and more flexible, eventually permitting more vigorous poses to be expressed - repeating simple mental practice of better feeling thoughts will eventually permit more detailed mental movies that will generate more specific and vivid emotions... just through thought alone.