Cultivate the Opposite

Pratipaksha Bhavana is a yogic practice described in the Yoga Sutras where yogis discontinue negative ways of thinking through the discipline of “cultivating the opposite.” Basically, instead of thinking negative thoughts, we cultivate thoughts of kindness and compassion instead.

Cultivating a positive thought every time a negative thought enters the mind sounds simple enough, yet it’s not always easy. The reality of switching your thought process like a light switch, especially when you’re experiencing a challenging time can be very difficult. Developing the opposite is ultimately about changing our attitude toward the person or situation creating the difficulty rather than attempting to change the person or situation itself. Essentially a mindset reset. For example, in yoga asana you may not be able to change the flexibility of your hamstrings overnight, but you can change your reaction toward your body’s range. Instead of frustration with limitations, the opposing view would be to practice patience and compassion with where your body is in the present moment. The more we practice Pratipaksha Bhavana consciously on mat, the easier we can live it unconsciously off the mat.

Perceptions create our emotions. How we perceive a situation invites an emotional response. If we are consciously choosing how we perceive a situation, we are consciously choosing what we are feeling. This is incredibly powerful. This creates a shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. Mindset is vital because there is no voice, we hear more than our own and the more we hear something over and over the more we tend to believe it.

Pratipaksha Bhavana invites “flexibility” by strengthening our ability to do something different in the face of things we have no control over. Whether it be a yoga pose, circumstances, or other people. Our emotions become a choice instead of a habit or reaction. Who wouldn’t prefer being a calm responder over a nuclear reactor?