Wellbeing

Emma Cannon: Releasing Negativity

Replace the negative with the positive with our women’s health guru Emma Cannon

Last issue, I spoke about identifying negative beliefs you may hold about yourself which are hindering you in life. Beliefs are very powerful and can really get in our way and grind us down. However there is no point just trying to be positive without first releasing a negative belief pattern. So it is really important to identify what they are. Even as you say them aloud you may feel some of the negativity leaving the system. I think saying things out loud is a good idea as sometimes when we hear these ideas spoken we can finally see how untrue or ridiculous they are.

For really deeply held beliefs about yourself, you may need to work on this for 28 days before they are fully cleared from the system and a new positive neural pathway has been formed.

Release beliefs

Use the following three statements to clear issues:

1) “I release all belief, perception and judgment that (insert your belief here – for example ‘I will struggle to conceive’ or ‘I don’t deserve to be successful in life’).

2) “I release all need and desire to believe that (insert belief here).”

3) “I now completely accept and believe and instruct my subconscious to completely accept and believe, on all levels of my being that (insert new positive belief – for example ‘I am fertile and I have everything I need’ or ‘I deserve to be a mother’).

The third statement replaces a negative with a positive. If you cannot think of the positive words, you can add the words ‘free from or of’ in front of the negative issues.

Identifying your resources

In order to have belief it is important to realise you have resources that you can draw on. These might be inner resources, or outer resources. So, for example, you may be someone who is good in a crisis, or you might be someone who people trust – so you are trustworthy. In terms of outer resources, perhaps you have a good network of female friends or a supportive family or a good yoga practice. Whatever they are make a list of them under the headings ‘inner’ and ‘outer’.

This exercise is to strengthen what is already good, and to build on your resources. Sensation is the language of deep inside the brain where we form new negative loops or neural pathways, so when we feel something in the body, this helps to form a new positive neural pathway.

This exercise is helpful for overcoming the negativity bias. The key is to anchor these feelings in the body. You will need to work with a partner to start with and then you can do it yourself. Throughout the exercise keep supporting your partner. The key is to think about something positive and then feel it in the body.

Resource exercise

Take turns with your partner

Start by inviting your partner or a friend to think of something positive. Ask them where they feel it in the body. How does it feel? Describe it in as much detail as possible. Each time your partner gives you an answer, invite them to go more deeply in to it. Ask questions such as, where else do you feel it? How does it make you feel?
Notice how this exercise encourages positive thoughts. Notice how you are consciously inviting deeper resources into your body and strengthening your will and purpose.
Do this for about 10 minutes until your partner really feels a sense of strength. You may witness a change in their demeanour as there body is flooded with endorphins
Swap over now and let your partner or friend repeat the exercise with you.