I have been having some interesting thoughts lately. My aging process is allowing me to see more (I think that’s it!) Our greatest teacher is our experience, and as we age we gain experiences. So, if we are paying attention (have awareness) to the teacher (our experience) then we gain knowledge (wisdom) through aging. Believe it or not, this knowledge gives life and direction within the aging process.
“Where do thoughts come from?” Well, that’s certainly not a brain-straining question, is it? It’s obvious that all our thoughts come from ourselves. Considering the fact that our thoughts come from us, this means we already know whatever it is we are thinking about. If we already know what we are thinking about then why are we thinking about it? Isn’t that redundant? Who are we talking to with our thoughts? It seems these thoughts are a waste of time, they’re absurd! Did you know each thought you have pulls your attention away from the present moment? So much for being present and/or learning from experience (your teacher).
These thoughts are much more impactful than simply a waste of time. I read many studies about the quality of one’s thoughts and it seems there is an agreement that most of them exhibit a negative quality. Some studies suggest well over eighty percent of our thoughts are negative. This means they bring us down instead of lifting us up. But bringing us down is an oversimplification of what’s happening! Understanding what is happening may be a huge factor in motivating us in addressing this stuff. With no exaggeration, addressing this stuff is the absolute most important endeavor of one’s life after one acquires food, clothing, and shelter! The impact of negative thoughts is much more vast than you might realize.
Understanding what is being said here means understanding yoga and all the great teachings from Buddha to Jesus, Lao Tzu, James Allen, Rumi even the Ten Commandments. Yet, most importantly, understanding what’s being said here allows us to take our reins and steer ourselves toward benevolence (stress-reducing). This helps us achieve physical and mental wellbeing. Understanding is only the first step though. Most people never make it far past this first step. Yet it’s the next step that creates tangible results. If you can’t understand the impact of negative thoughts or the impact of your thoughts in general, you won’t know how to move forward. That next step is obviously the implementation of the mental quality of one’s choosing. As opposed to accepting or not even knowing the mental qualities that we have inherited and/or unwittingly cultivated.
I’d like to clarify the harm we are doing to ourselves by not addressing our mental state. My only objective here is to motivate you to work on this stuff. If over eighty percent of your thoughts are negative, this means over eighty percent of your thoughts have a malevolent (stress-producing) effect. This means they contribute to or produce stress. Stress is responsible for most diseases. This is the largest factor in your overall health! We are poisoning ourselves with our own minds!
Physically the body only requires maintenance and there are many ideas about maintenance as it is very personal. Some people appreciate Yogasana (and its multiplicity of expressions) or maybe walking, calisthenics, tai chi, etc…Yet, when it comes to physical maintenance all of the above needs to be performed moderately, modestly, or gently to be effective. After all, you all have seen the universal law that states “the harder you are on anything the faster you wear it out”! This gentleness makes any exercise Yoga. Gentleness requires paying attention or being present and for this, our minds become quiet. In other words, absurd thoughts dissipate.
When it comes to a fitness routine whose objective is health, addressing our mental state is key. This is where the lion’s share of our energy should be focused and this is the main focus of yoga. So, allow those thoughts to subside by gently touching yourself everywhere with love and care. Welcome to Poweryoga.com!