An Expanded Way of Thinking
Image c/o Vogue Italia 2017
According to Kundalini yoga, we have 10 bodies, three of which are the mind - first the negative, then the positive, and finally the neutral mind. We can sometimes feel like our thoughts are running the show, or even worse, are what we define as us. Learning this concept changed the way I use my mind, and I hope you’ll find it just as expansive.
The negative mind is the first lense we process thoughts through. Scientists have proven that around 320 million (!!) years ago, humans evolved from reptiles. Our reptilian brain’s main job was to keep us safe from predators, and unless we’ve harnessed the full power of our mind, this prevention of fear is still leading our actions.The fears might have changed over time, but our negative mind’s instinct to protect us from danger remains.
We want to use this fear-based view to keep us safe, while also moving onto the positive mind. The positive mind allows us to think optimistically and see best-case scenarios. A lot of us aren’t in the practice of seeing the bright side, so start paying attention to your thoughts. Are you always seeing the negative, and simply acting? Try becoming aware when you first think a negative thought, and then allow yourself to come up with some best case scenarios. This may take practice, but over time you’ll be able to naturally allow your positive mind to follow after the negative.
While optimism is good, our fear-based negative mind is here for a reason. The third and final mind is our neutral mind. The neutral mind is our rational and instinctive self. When strong, it can filter both negative and positive opinions, allowing our true selves to decide our reality and action steps.
PUTTING THE “THREE MINDS” INTO PRACTICE
An example of is the fear that you will never get a new job during a recession. The negative mind quickly jumps in with the opinion (not fact!) that no one is hiring, there’s so much competition, and you’ll be out of work forever. If we’re not in the practice of bringing awareness to all three minds, the thought process could stop here, and you’ll allow this belief to guide your actions.
Acknowledging the negative mind’s opinion, we are then able to move to the positive mind’s view. Your friend’s friend recently got hired at a really cool company, you saw 10 job postings yesterday alone, and met someone whose career you really admire. Positive, expansive thinking.
Finally, we move onto the neutral mind. What do you want to believe? Maybe it feels like a stretch to jump right into optimism and the dream world after you keep getting rejected in jobs, but it’s enough to choose to believe that people are hiring and a new role is possible.
I hope you find this practice helpful in strengthening your thinking. Use this idea of three minds to think more expansively, and choose the beliefs that fit best for you!