Eliminate Negative Thoughts with Yoga and Meditation

Thoughts are intangible and yet highly powerful processes. They can impact not only the mental and emotional health of the person but also their physical well being. Therefore, understanding your thoughts and channelising them efficiently is important to maintain the overall health and balance of the body and mind. 

Thoughts can be broadly categorised as negative and positive. Negative thoughts are nothing but a lack of enthusiasm and hope, forcing you to consider only the bad side of people or things. Negative thoughts tend to render you a pessimistic outlook towards life and can eventually start disturbing your day to day activities. They also give rise to stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health problems, which may, in turn, also lead to many physical diseases. 

Eliminating negative thoughts is not an easy process. It requires continuous efforts and self-awareness. While discarding negativity from your life, it is important to allow your thoughts to pass through your mind and accept them without judgement. It is also necessary to understand negative emotions such as fear, anger, frustration, etc.  

There are many ways to eliminate negative thoughts. However, two of the most effective ways to deal with negative thoughts and emotions are Yoga and meditation. 

Benefits of Yoga and Meditation in Getting Rid of Negative Thoughts

• Yoga and meditation help you become aware of your negative thoughts. As you become increasingly aware of your thoughts and emotions, you are better able to detach them from your mind. 
• Negative thoughts generally arise from the actions of the past or the anticipated anxiety about the future. Yoga and meditation help you focus on the present and manage your anxiety effectively, thereby reducing negative emotions. 
• Yoga and meditation also help your body feel good and content. They help to shed away the layers of fear, anger, jealousy, etc. and allow you to find your inner peace. 

Yoga for Negative Thoughts

All Yoga Asanas help you feel positive and peaceful. However, a few of the Yoga poses that are especially helpful to get rid of negative thoughts are Kapalabhati (Breath of Fire), Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation), Garudasana (Eagle Pose), Ustrasana (Camel Pose) and Balasana (Child Pose). If you want to get rid of negativity or a pessimistic attitude, you should try to practice Yoga every day for at least 30 minutes.   

Meditation for Negative Thoughts

There are many techniques and forms of meditation that you can practice to get rid of negative thoughts. However, if you are new to meditation, you can start with a simple breathing technique. For this, find a comfortable and peaceful place to sit down. Then, close your eyes and put a hand on your belly. Next, start taking deep breaths and focus on your breathing rhythm with the rise and fall of your belly. While practising meditation, do not stop your mind from feeling any emotion or experiencing any thought. Let all the thoughts pass without any judgements. Remember, the key to eliminating negative thoughts lie in acknowledging and accepting their presence.  

Other Tips to Deal with Negative Thoughts

• Follow a disciplined routine and keep yourself busy. It helps you break the chain of negative thoughts. 
• Be kind and help others. It helps you feel good and content with yourself and helps get rid of negativity in your mind. 
• Do not lock yourself in the bubble of your own thoughts. Go out and interact with people. It will help your mind think about other topics.
• Spend some time in nature. It will cleanse your body and reconnect the elements of your body with those present in nature, helping you find inner peace.     

The Takeaway

Getting rid of negative thoughts is not easy. However, regular practice of Yoga and meditation can help you eliminate them. Discarding negativity is important to not only enhance your overall well being but also to make you feel more happy and content in life.  

Disclaimer: The results depend on the body constitution of an individual and the results may vary based on the individual Dosha type. 

This article is reviewed by Swati Nigam