MAM
COVID-19: How affirmations can help deal with work from home
At a recent workshop on “How to develop Harmonious Relationships”, my wife, Narayani, and I used a pendulum to demonstrate the power of thoughts, both, positive and negative. We invited a volunteer from the class to come up and sit on a chair facing everyone. Narayani placed the pendulum a few inches above this person’s head and allowed it to settle down until it was perfectly still.
Now, we asked all those present to send positive thoughts to this person, without saying a word. Just inwardly, in their mind. As they did so, the pendulum suddenly began to swing in a clockwise direction. The more powerfully they sent these thoughts the larger and faster the pendulum swung.
Asking them to stop, we allowed the pendulum to return to neutral. As you may have guessed already, we now had them think and project negative thoughts towards this person. The pendulum, awakening from its slumber, gradually began swinging in the opposite direction — anti-clockwise. Everybody in the room was shocked, “Our thoughts did that?”
We’ve all heard about the power that thoughts have to shape and affect our reality, but nobody really takes it that seriously. Often we dismiss them as personal indulgences.
“These are my thoughts, what difference does it make to others?” “I can think whatever I want.”
We think just because no one can hear us, we are not affecting anybody. But seeing this lucid experiment, right before their eyes, they could no longer deny the power. The power that they, you and I, your neighbour, and everyone carry within them.
The world, believe it or not, is responding to these very thoughts and creating for you a reality that corresponds to those thoughts.
Now, the first question is: what thoughts most preoccupy your mind right now?
Fear?
Uncertainty?
Anxiety?
It seems so natural, given the present circumstances, that no one would fault you for having them. But what effect are they having on your immediate surroundings and circumstances?
How do we get out of the habit we have created of constant worry and frustration at our situation?
Easy. By “consciously” re-seeding the ether with fresh new positive thoughts.
For this purpose we will use the technique of AFFIRMATIONS! These affirmations will replace the old habit-driven patterns with purposeful and uplifted thoughts. There is a specific way to do these affirmations to ensure they are most effective.
First, one repeats them out loud: thereby commanding the other thoughts to seize their restless flurry. Then, gradually we repeat the words softer and softer, taking them deep into our subconscious mind, where all our thought patterns are stored. And finally, we say them silently, mentally only, with our eyes closed trying to plant this seed-thought deeper still, into the super-conscious mind.
Now the best times to do an affirmation is right after waking up and just before going to bed. These two time periods are perfect because in those moments we are exposed to both our subconscious mind, through the state of sleep and the conscious mind, in the state of wakefulness. However, in addition, we then continue to repeat them several more times. At least four to eight-time daily.
The affirmation (taken from the book 'Affirmations for Self-Healing' by Swami Kriyananda) that I will share with you today is on “Good Health,” since that is what is preoccupying so many of our minds.
“My body cells obey my will: They dance with infinite vitality! I am well! I am strong! I am a flowing river of boundless power and energy!”
This is step one of the journey towards self-mastery. If you are interested in this journey, then walk with us as we continue to explore different practices, techniques and perspectives that will mould our lives into expressing our highest potential.
(The authors are disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda and are currently the spiritual directors of Ananda Mumbai, a yoga and meditation centre. The views expressed in the article are the authors’ and indiantelevision.com need not subscribe to them.)
Brands
Kingfisher signs three-year IPL partnership
Packaged water brand signs on as ‘good times partner’ for 2026–28 cycle
MUMBAI: Kingfisher Premium Packaged Drinking Water is betting big on cricket’s biggest stage, sealing a three-year partnership with the Board of Control for Cricket in India to sharpen fan engagement at the TATA Indian Premier League.
The brand, owned by United Breweries, will serve as the official “good times partner” for the men’s IPL from 2026 to 2028, extending a relationship that began with the Women’s Premier League. The move signals a broader push to embed itself deeper into live sport, with a focus on immersive, consumer-led experiences rather than conventional sponsorship visibility.
At the heart of the tie-up is a suite of fan-first activations spanning broadcast, stadiums and digital channels. These include the “Kingfisher Bird Cam”, offering a branded spider-cam perspective during live matches, and the “Good Times Zone”, an in-stadium entertainment hub during play-offs aimed at amplifying match-day buzz. The brand will also back IPL fan parks, elevate public screening experiences and run digital contests tied to key moments through the season.
Vikram Bahl, chief marketing officer, United Breweries, said cricket in India “is more than a sport, it is a shared cultural moment”, adding that the IPL brings that energy alive at scale. “For Kingfisher Premium Packaged Drinking Water, being present at the heart of these moments, in partnership with the BCCI, is a natural extension of what we stand for. Through this association, we aim to enrich how fans experience the game… making every match more immersive, social and memorable,” Bahl said.
Devajit Saikia, honorary secretary, BCCI, said the IPL “has always been at the forefront of redefining sports entertainment and fan engagement”. He added that the collaboration would fuse cricket fandom with “innovative fan experiences that extend beyond the stadium”, helping create memorable moments for audiences nationwide.
For United Breweries, part of the HEINEKEN group, the play is clear: move from passive branding to active participation in the fan journey—on screens, in stands and across social spaces. With millions tuning in and turning up each season, the IPL remains the country’s most potent marketing theatre. The question now is whether “good times” can translate into lasting brand recall in a market where visibility is easy, but engagement is hard-won.
