Hooked on a Feeling? Be Sure it’s the Positive One You’re Going For

by Julia Jonson, Yoga Educator, E-RYT 500

In the whirlwind of daily life, it’s easy to get swept up in negative thoughts—anger, self-doubt, fear, or judgment. But yoga offers us a powerful and practical tool to meet these moments with clarity and strength: Pratipaksha Bhavana—the practice of consciously replacing negative thoughts with positive ones.

Rooted in yogic philosophy, this timeless method helps us build emotional resilience and deepen self-awareness, allowing us to shift our inner dialogue and respond to life with greater intention.

The concept of Pratipaksha Bhavana is introduced in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (2.33), where it’s taught as a method to overcome destructive thoughts by cultivating their opposites.

What follows is a clear, structured version of this transformative practice—designed to help you catch the mind in motion, redirect your energy, and reclaim your peace.

• Pratipakṣa (प्रतिपक्ष) means “opposite” or “counter‑force.”
  
• Bhāvanā (भावना) means “cultivation,” “development,” or “mental formation.”

Put together, the term means cultivating the opposite, specifically generating a positive thought force in response to a negative disturbance. The practice is articulated in Yoga Sutras 2.33:

Practice & Benefits

• Whenever you detect a negative, harsh, or harmful thought, you consciously replace or counter it with a positive, peaceful, or kind thought
  

• With repetition, this becomes a stabilizing habit that diminishes negativity and uplifts the mind, fostering emotional resilience and alignment with the yamas and niyamas of yoga 

Flip the Script on Negativity

1. NOTICE the Negative
   Catch the moment a disturbing thought arises (anger, fear, judgment). If you're not aware, it hijacks you.
2. PAUSE — Don’t React
   Feel yourself slipping? STOP. "I’m sinking!" → That’s your moment to SHIFT.
3. INVOKE the Opposite
   Bring in a positive counter-force: Anger → Patience; Criticism → Kindness; Fear → Trust  - MANTRA! “I am love, wealth, and pure potential.”
4. REPEAT
   Keep practicing until positivity becomes automatic. Remember, unchecked thoughts stink — clean them daily. What you repeat, you become.