Manifest: What Is It And How Does It Work?

"Manifestation" is almost a household word these days, especially in the yoga scene. Derived from the Latin term “manifestare” (which means “to show”, “to make tangible”) it originally meant that something invisible, non-tangible suddenly takes on a real form. For example, God Vishnu manifests himself in his seventh incarnation as Rama. And hives - to take a solid example - manifests as unsightly wheals.

In the spiritual scene, on the other hand, the term "manifest" describes a fascinating method: the consciously controlled process through which you can make your wishes, visions and goals a reality. 

Would you like to try that out? We asked our manifestation expert Nicole Bongartz on the subject - and found out that manifestation is a very effective (and not at all aloof) method of actively shaping your life. 

1. What is meant by the term manifest?

“A manifestation is a willful influencing of one's own reality,”  explains yoga teacher Nicole Bongartz. "When you talk about manifesting something, you usually mean a consciously brought about change - or at least the idea that I'm in the driver's seat of my life and have the opportunity to create my reality."

There is also the unconscious, non-intentional manifestation. Nicole Bongartz: “ We all manifest constantly, in every moment. A simple example: I can either go to work by car or by bike. If I choose to ride a bike, the situation is completely different from that of driving a car. Cycling releases other chemical messengers in me, which changes my mood. I then bring this other energy with me to work, which in turn leads to changed experiences. "

2. What can you manifest?

Basically, you can manifest almost anything - a good mood, a sports car, money, love ... But you should consider the following:

Tip 1: (baby) step by (baby) step

With manifestation you can only influence what you can influence. So you (alone) will not be able to manifest world peace. But you can definitely make sure that your environment, the reality of your life becomes more peaceful. And if you are serious about world peace, you can build a worldwide organization step by step, which promotes a peaceful coexistence of all people at all levels.

In general, manifestation works best when you formulate your goals as detailed and concrete as possible (see next point). If you ask yourself in every phase of your life what your greatest goal is, you always have a concrete impact on your current everyday life - which is much more satisfying and promising than working towards an abstract, distant goal. 

Of course you can be guided by a big vision for these small goals! But take the time to go your own way in peace and enjoy every little stage that you have mastered. 

Tip 2: be patient!

We are already with the next aspect: Depending on how big your goal is, you have to be patient. You already know: "... miracles take a little longer." 

If you want to manifest a pay rise, it can work within a few days, with the dream house a few weeks would be a great success - but if you are still working as a waitress, you have to be prepared for a longer manifestation phase, if your goal is a worldwide one to build an active, successful company. 

Warning: manifestation does not make you all-powerful!

Even if you are a natural at manifesting and particularly hardworking, you cannot control the world, life and your fellow human beings. Nicole Bongartz: “It is important to know that we do not have the outer world under control through manifestation. But we can influence our actions and reactions to what happens outside and thus become a point of resonance for the things we want. " 

For example, with Manifestation you cannot prevent a flood from destroying the headquarters of your organization for world peace - but you can influence how cheerful and organized you go through this crisis. 

3. Methods of manifestation: How do you manifest your desires?

Step 1: find out what you really want

Nicole Bongartz advises:  “The first step should be that you become aware of your wishes. What do I really want and what is the need behind it? Here a classic list or a vision board can be the first step on the cognitive level. "

It is helpful to first write a list of your goals and then take a closer look at them:

• Control your goals: are these really my goals? Or am I trying to impress others? Why do i want this? - listen to your heart and cross off all points from the list that do not really come from your deepest innermost being. 
• Set priorities: Order the list according to which goals are most important to you and which are less important.
• Formulate it very precisely: Now take the first three points and formulate them as clearly and in as little detail as possible. Formulate it positively and as if your goal was already a reality: "I am healthy and feel in top shape." and not "I don't want to suffer from disease XY anymore."

Step 2: visualize your dream in your mind 

Now choose a goal from your list that fills you with happiness and joy the most. Close your eyes and travel in your mind to the future, to the point in time when your dream became a reality. Imagine the situation exactly. How does it feel? How are you? Also try to imagine the steps you took to make your dream come true. 

Step 3: create your vision board

After you have visualized your dream in great detail, you can create a vision board , i.e. combine suitable pictures from magazines or the Internet to form a collage - which is best placed next to your bed so that it can inspire you every day. You can also sit down in a place of power and say your goal out loud, stick notes with the goal on all relevant surfaces or use your goal as a mantra during your daily meditation. The main thing is that it feels right to you.

Step 4: get into action

After you have precisely defined what your goal is and visualized it and maybe even recorded it on a vision board, it is time to take action. Write down specific steps you would like to take to achieve your goal. It's best to make a to-do list of ideas and then work through them in order. How can you change your daily routine, which routines can you establish to get closer to your goal? Take the first step today and take action! The most important thing, however, is that all of your actions spring from a positive mindset. 

Step 5: Believe that you deserve what you want

So while you yourself remember your goal as regularly as possible and become active, you should consider one more thing: Be convinced from the bottom of your heart that you deserve your goals and wishes to come true. 

The subject of self-worth plays a major role here. Nicole Bongartz: “Since we manifest primarily from the subconscious, it is important to work with techniques that also address and change your subconscious - especially your subconscious self-worth. Because we can only get what we want if we are sure that we deserve it. This can be seen in the fact that we all have areas of life in which we successfully manifest - that is, attract the things that we want. This is not the case in other areas of life. Why? Because in some areas we have good subconscious self-worth, while in others we are not yet at our full value. "

The subject of self-worth is very complex and, for most of us, is related to long past experiences. Therefore it is not so easy to change something about these deeply ingrained beliefs. Even if, on a conscious level, you have long recognized them to be unhelpful. 

A deep psychological therapy can help here and meditation can also support it. If you meditate daily in the morning with a mantra like "I am perfect, just like I am", you are laying a good foundation for an inner change - which can then manifest on the outside. 

Exercise 4: How do you manifest with the 369 method?

One of the most famous manifestation exercises is the 369 method. This is how it works: Say your goal loudly and clearly three times in the morning, six times at noon and nine times in the evening, or write it down as often as necessary. Your goal is anchored deep within you, it burns into your conscious and subconscious structures. 

The increasing repetitions are justified by the fact that concentration decreases over the course of the day. The fact that the repetitions come from the series of 3 numbers allegedly has to do with the fact that the inventor Nikola Tesla developed this method - and he was very fond of the 3 ...

5. What happens when you manifest?

Pay attention to your feelings because they become thoughts.
Pay attention to your thoughts because they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Pay attention to your actions because they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become your character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

Chinese proverb

Anyone who deals with manifestation sooner or later comes across the law of attraction. 

This law has two aspects: 

1. On the one hand, we always attract what we are currently broadcasting.

2. On the other hand, we primarily perceive that which triggers a response in us. So if you are currently actively manifesting professional success, you will be very sensitive to all signs that things are going well in your job.

Nicole Bongartz explains: “Basically we attract the things that we want. It's a kind of magnetism. The whole thing is based on the fact that everything that exists on earth is energy and we attract different things depending on which frequency we vibrate. If we still do not succeed, we can assume that there is no room in our subconscious for the possibility that we can actually realize our visions. So we don't believe in it. There are many valid techniques for influencing the subconscious. At the forefront, it's usually about increasing self-esteem with regard to our desired goal, so that we are deeply convinced that we are worth it to achieve our goals. "

6. What does manifestation have to do with yoga?

At this point the natural connection between yoga and manifestation becomes apparent : “If we practice yoga,” says Nicole Bongartz, “we work consciously or unconsciously with our subtle body. Enlightenment is seen in the old Hatha Yoga scriptures as an increase and control of life energy (Prana) - that is, as a willfully brought about change that can be achieved through concrete techniques. If we give our yoga practice a concrete direction, set an intuition, this is already a first step towards manifestation. "

So you can support the manifestation process if you regularly practice asanas , meditation and breathing exercises (pranayama) . This will keep your energy high and create good vibes in body, mind and soul. You can of course also practice Tai Chi, go for a forest bath, listen to an inspiring podcast or even bake - as long as it gives you pleasure, strengthens and nourishes you, inspires and motivates, it will advance your manifestation plans.