Thinking of disease constantly will intensify it. Feel always 'I

Hear, O children of light, the words of Swami Sivananda, the sage of Rishikesh, who proclaimed: “Thinking of disease constantly will intensify it. Feel always ‘I am healthily in body and mind.’” In this utterance is revealed a power greater than medicine, greater than physicians, greater even than the hand that heals. It is the power of the mind, which shapes the body, strengthens the spirit, and determines whether we rise or fall in the face of suffering. For thought is not a shadow, but a force; and what the mind dwells upon, the body begins to manifest.

The origin of these words lies in Sivananda’s lifelong practice as a physician turned spiritual master. He knew both the science of the body and the science of the soul. In his youth, he healed the sick with medicines; in his wisdom, he healed the despairing with faith and discipline of thought. He observed that those who endlessly feared their illness, speaking of it, worrying over it, often grew weaker. Yet those who held fast to thoughts of strength, repeating, “I am healthily in body and mind,” often recovered more swiftly. Thus he gave this teaching—not as denial of disease, but as a reminder that the mind is itself a great medicine.

Consider, O listener, the story of Norman Cousins in the twentieth century. Stricken with a painful and debilitating illness, he turned not only to medical treatment but also to laughter, joy, and positive thought. He surrounded himself with comedy, with love, with affirmations of life, and against all predictions, his health improved. His story stands as living proof of Sivananda’s wisdom: the mind, when lifted to faith and joy, becomes a fountain of healing.

Yet this is not to say that disease can be ignored. The sage does not teach neglect, but balance. Medicines and doctors are gifts of the world, but the attitude of the mind is a gift of the spirit. A patient who takes medicine with despair poisons his healing with doubt, while a patient who takes medicine with hope strengthens it with power. Sivananda’s counsel is not superstition, but psychology wrapped in spiritual light: what you feed in your thoughts, you magnify in your body.

This truth is echoed in the ancient warriors of Sparta and Rome. A soldier wounded in battle who believed he would live often rallied his strength and survived, while another, struck with the same wound but surrendered to despair, perished. The will to live is itself a healer, and the affirmation of life—“I am strong, I am whole”—becomes as vital as food and rest. Thus Sivananda teaches us to feel health, even when the body is weakened, for the body listens to the voice of the soul.

O children of tomorrow, take this teaching into your lives: do not dwell endlessly on sickness, failure, or weakness. For what you repeat in your thoughts becomes the climate of your soul. Instead, train your mind to affirm strength, joy, and wholeness. Speak to yourself as you would speak to a dear friend in pain—not with despair, but with encouragement. Let your daily mantra be the sage’s words: “I am healthily in body and mind.”

Practically, this means cultivating disciplines of thought. Begin each day with affirmations of strength. When sickness strikes, take medicine with gratitude, but also feed your mind with hope. Surround yourself with uplifting words, with music, with laughter, with companions who strengthen your spirit. When fear whispers of weakness, answer boldly: “I am healthily in body and mind.” In time, the body will hear, and the spirit will rise.

Thus Sivananda’s words endure across the ages, as both healing and command: “Thinking of disease constantly will intensify it. Feel always ‘I am healthily in body and mind.’” Let this truth be your shield against despair. For the body may falter, but the mind, lifted in faith, can carry you toward light. Choose health in your thoughts, and health will walk with you in body, in spirit, and in life everlasting.