Our positive affirmations might not work if we doubt their healing power. Here’s how to turn empty affirmations into powerful healing tools.
One of the holistic healing tools prescribed most often is the act of repeating affirmations, which are statements and mantras that can work to reprogram our subconscious minds. We’re taught the importance of positive thinking in aligning ourselves energetically with healing, staying optimistic in our recovery, and helping us manifest the things and outcomes we want for ourselves, such as sobriety and optimal health. What we often don’t learn is that we can be doing the work, repeating our affirmations consistently but still see no progress in our mental and emotional health, or our addictive patterns, because of the way we’re going about it. Our words carry energy that can be healing and transformative. However, when we aren’t infusing them with the right energy, they can either detract from our healing or keep us stuck, unable to move forward and make progress. They become empty words.
When we’re constantly repeating affirmations such as, “I am healthy” or “I am strong in my recovery”, and we don’t see a change in our mentality or health, we wonder what’s going on. We ask ourselves: “Why isn’t this working yet? What am I doing wrong? Why am I not seeing any changes yet? Does this really work? I highly doubt that just repeating words endlessly is going to do anything for me. Can I even get better?” As we know, our thoughts carry the energy and when we don’t really believe in our affirmations, we’re infusing them with doubt, skepticism, cynicism, and fear. We’re questioning ourselves and our ability to get well. While all of these feelings are normal, we want to make peace with them so they’re not interfering with our positive healing work. Otherwise, we’re programming our subconscious minds with more fear and doubt, rather than the healing and empowerment we’re looking for.
We want to try and believe our affirmations as much as we possibly can. This is easier said than done, but we can use meditation and visualization to help ourselves in this process. Visualize yourself wholly healed. Visualize yourself as if all the affirmations you’re repeating have already come true. How do you feel? How does your energy feel? Carry that same energy over into your affirmations. One of the most powerful ways we can heal and align our energy is with energy healing practices such as Reiki or Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). These allow us to integrate the power of our affirmations so that they become more like intentions, things we are actively working towards and committing to, things we believe to be true and valuable for ourselves. In these ways, affirmations become powerful and meaningful. They’re not merely empty words or rituals. Affirmations infused with belief and positive energy open us up to real, lasting change.
Riverside Recovery believes in the importance of holistic healing and education, mindfulness and mind-body-spirit wellness. Call (800) 871-5440 for more information on our treatment programs.