12/02/2026
Negative Thoughts — And the Space Around Them
We all have negative thoughts.
Fear, self-doubt, harsh self-criticism, anger we replay long after the moment has passed, old stories about not being enough…
The problem is not that these thoughts appear.
The problem is how quickly we believe them.
In yoga philosophy, Patanjali describes the movements of the mind as vrittis - fluctuations. Thoughts are not solid truths. They are movements. Waves. Temporary formations.
The practice is not about stopping the waves.
It is about recognizing that we are not the wave.
Modern psychology says something similar. Cognitive reframing is not about forcing positivity. It begins with one simple shift: “This is a thought, not a fact.” That small sentence creates distance. And in that distance, choice becomes possible.
Buddha spoke about the mind in a very direct way. He taught that suffering deepens when we cling to thoughts or resist them. Through mindfulness, we learn to observe a thought simply as a thought — arising, existing for a moment, and passing away. Not something to grasp. Not something to fight. Just a mental event moving through awareness. When we see clearly that thoughts are impermanent, their power softens. What once felt solid becomes fluid.
Huna philosophy from Hawaii adds another layer: the world is what you think it is. Not as a simplistic affirmation, but as a reminder — perception shapes experience. Where attention goes, energy follows. What we keep rehearsing internally becomes the lens through which we see.
Across traditions, the message is consistent:
A thought is an event. Not an identity.
Thoughts are like clouds crossing the sky. Some are light and barely visible. Some feel dark and heavy. But the sky itself remains untouched.
And maybe the answer is not to “let go” of negative thoughts, as if we had to push them away.
Maybe it is to allow them.
To notice:
“There is fear.”
“There is self-judgment.”
“There is anger.”
When we stop fighting a thought, it often softens on its own.
Like in family constellations — every member has a place in the system, even the one who carries shame or feels unwanted. When something is excluded, it becomes louder. When it is acknowledged, it relaxes.
Negative thoughts often point toward something unresolved — an old wound, a protective strategy, a memory stored in the nervous system. If we meet them with curiosity instead of resistance, they lose their sharp edges.
Yoga — beyond the physical postures — offers a rich toolkit for this. Breath awareness, meditation, self-inquiry, ethical alignment. The asanas are important, yes. But yoga is much wider than movement. It is a way of relating to the mind.
When the body slows down and relaxes, the mind follows.
Sometimes this happens very simply.
In quiet moments where breathing becomes steady.
In the deliberate rhythm of preparing and sharing tea.
In the warmth of touch when muscles begin to soften and the nervous system remembers safety.
ou can almost feel the shift — the story that felt urgent a moment ago loosens its grip.
The inner dialogue fades into the background.
When we pause for only a few moments, something very special is happening. We feel we arrived home -we've never left this "place", but maybe never felt before- You are home. In your body, in your life, in this moment.
And in that grounded presence, thoughts — both “positive” and “negative” — move more freely.
They come. They pass.
Like wind through tall grass. Like clouds changing shape.
During a massage, when the body begins to feel safe, the mind quiets without effort.
In a tea ceremony, when we slow down enough to truly taste and just breathe consciously… when we slow down enough to feel the simple act of holding a cup. Sensation interrupts mental repetition, the inner narrative softens.
Nothing is forced.
Nothing is suppressed.
The system simply shifts.
And this shift does not belong to one method.
Yoga -on the mat and far beyond.
Qi Gong.
Meditation.
Breathwork.
Walking in nature as the days grow lighter.
Natural therapies.
Rituals.
Conscious Touch…
All of them can help to create more space.
And in that space, what once felt heavy can become integrated.
What felt harsh can become understood.
What felt negative can transform into guidance.
The focus is not on becoming endlessly positive.
It is on becoming more loving with what arises.
There are many doors you can walk through. The secret is you don’t need to go anywhere. You are here already and it is only now, when you can recognise this.
There is always time to pause for a moment and just be as you are. Without rating or judging. Just witnessing…
If you often feel lost in the density of your own thoughts,
and sense that you need a little more space… a little more peace… and you still don’t know how to do it… you know how to reach me.
I won’t solve your problems. I can share how I meet my own.
And perhaps, in that shared, safe space, you may find inspiration for how to gently untangle yours.
And it may even happen that, for a moment, you realize they were never problems to begin with - only signposts guiding you back home. Back to yourself. Back to Wholeness.
And if you feel like sharing -how do you return to your center when your thoughts become loud?
I’d love to hear what helps you find your ground.
Many blessings and much love, Berci
https://bodyandsoultouch.com/negative-thoughts-and-the-space-around-them/
This photo was taken at the Buddha Eden Garden of Peace in Portugal, during our Yoga Teacher Training graduation ceremony in 2022.
