Helpful Centers

In my years of teaching and counseling I have come to the con-
clusion that many people are unsure of what affirmations are,
how to use them, what great tools they can be, or what good
benefits can be manifested by working with affirmations in both
children and adults. In the simplest form an affirmation is a
statement of a positive effect, result, or of a future event
that you would like to achieve. Usually an affirmation is
stated in the present moment and in positive verbiage and
wordage. For an example ” I can do this” as opposed to “I’d like to do this” or “I’m going to do this.” The sentence
” I can do this” is set in the present moment and it implies
confidence in one’s ability to accomplish the task and an
immediacy to take action. The statement ” I’d like to do this.”
Implies that it is not quite possible but you are yearning to
do it but (something out of your control) is preventing that.
“I’m going to do this” implies sometime in the future when all
the conditions are right. In that case we can make an
assumption that the conditions will never be right.

To effectively work and create affirmations for yourself or child
it is better to create patterns of repetition in saying the phrase
out loud many times per day if need be, or weekly and using a
creative visualization technique to anchor the effects of the
affirmation in your mind and your body. For an example if you
wish to give up smoking. The best way to phrase the
affirmation would be “I’m smoke free.” “I enjoy
being smoke free.” ” I enjoy being a non-smoker.”
In these examples you would repeat the affirmations and design
a creative visualization
(of events in the future but seen in present moment time) of you
being a fulfilled non-smoker. You could imagine yourself
doing an activity and feeling free and joyful that you are without
a cigarette. You could imagine that you are visiting with children
who previously were reluctant to spend time with you because of
your smoking and how much you enjoy that visit. You could
imagine that you feel the breath in your lungs very different and
that you can actually breathe freely.

In working with children, repetition is a key. You can make
it into a game of movement and imagination that children love.
The affirmations can be repeated together and new images or
visualizations can be incorporated into the game. For instance,
I use an affirmation with children that is very powerful and
fun and it creates a strong visual image for them.
“I stomp out sickness.” When we are in a circle we stomp
our feet on the ground and pretend that we are stomping
sickness into the earth. They enjoy games and imagery like
this immensely and it creates effective anchors.

For adults too the same sort of movement can be used to create
an anchor. You interrupt a pattern of stagnation with the new
movement. For instance, if you threw your arms up into the
air and then out in front of you in a big sweeping gesture, and
then said an affirmation such as “I’m free!”
“Big pathways are opening up for me!! You would immediately
feel the vibrancy and the expansion of that affirmation. An
anchor of thought and the physical action would then be created
in your mind. Every time that you said that affirmation, and
did that gesture of the big sweeping arm movements a
thought of freedom and lightness would be interpreted into your
brain. You would begin to feel the joy associated with that move-
ment and those words.

On repeating the affirmations, a new pattern of hope, expectancy
and action would be created for future moments to unfold.
Of course you don’t have to make a big physical gesture to
interrupt the pattern of thought. However when you can add
physical movements, gestures or sounds, the affirmation becomes
more effective and can promote a transformation more quickly.
If you can picture in your mind the thing that you want to
achieve, as if it is already done, and you are feeling wonderful
about receiving it, that combined with the affirmation is a very
effective tool of change.

Let’s look at some affirmations. “I’m easily and effortlessly

attracting the right business contacts to promote my work.”
If you imagined in your mind; the smiles, the handshakes and
the business meeting going very well and the ultimate
picture of you receiving the benefits of new business and the

achieving the results that you want and need every time
that you said that affirmation, you begin to attract what you are

confirming to the universe.

“I am fearless.” If you said this out loud it would be very
effective to raise your voice and emphasis the word fearless.
If you raised your hand in a strong gesture it further anchors
the strength and courage that you feel in your body.
The visual image that may go along with “I am fearless,”
could be seeing yourself confronting a strong adversary and
you looking right into his or her eyes and feeling in your
heart that you are too strong to cower, and that you are planted

firmly to the Earth.

“I can do this easily and effortlessly.” Imagine yourself in
the zone so to speak where you barely make any effort at all
and everything falls into place. Feel in your body and heart,
how joyful, casual and confident you are about everything
coming quickly together for you. Use an example in your past
successes when something came together just as easily and
remember how happy and light you felt when it did.

“I am the perfect weight for me.” Instead of focusing on how
much weight you wish to lose, which implies that you are not
perfect as you are, focus on how it would feel to fit into the
size jeans that you always wanted to fit into. Also focus on
how good it would feel in your slim clothing and seeing
yourself in the mirror at the weight that your body looks
absolutely fabulous in. See yourself very energized with
your newly trim fit body, and how then you would act, walk,
run, play and enjoy yourself.

Affirmations are best spoken out loud; the vibrations of the
spoken positive expression are impactful to your psyche or
a child’s. They are also best repeated until a new pattern is
created. Create your own affirmations, or read from a book
of affirmations, or listen to affirmations on tapes or CD’s.

Keep revisiting these affirmations daily. Affirmations build
confidence, help you to overcome low self-esteem, create
balance, and space, helps you to get past feelings of guilt,
and condemnation, clears obstacles, or limitations, create new
patterns of health and well-being, and may produce feelings
of prosperity and abundance. Of course Affirmations are not
a cure-all, but they are very powerful and effective tools for you
and your child to transform a challenging area in life.
Every time that you say an affirmation with conviction you
are creating a new unfolding moment to engage in a new
fulfilled, balance, healthy, or abundant way of being.

Yoga Kat–aka Katheryn Hoban is a yoga teacher with twelve years experience. She teaches children’s yoga ages 3-6, and 7-12 and Adults privately in NJ. She is the author the book DAUGHTER BELOVED which will come out next year. She has created a children’s affirmation CD (ages 3-6) and an affirmation CD for adults. Yoga Kat is available for speaking or writing and can be reached at katscoolcorner@yahoo.com or 201 970-9340