It is a striking thought that we can talk ourselves into disease and we can therefore talk ourselves out of disease.

I have tried this on myself, several times, by switching my mind to a positive thought when going through negative emotions of pressure, anger or frustration.

Some time ago, when going through difficult times, I found my urinary flow becoming troublesome, slow and sometimes frequent.

As stressful life-events occurred, one after another, I suddenly realised I was subconsciously afraid I might need a prostate operation or I might suffer from cancer of the prostate.

When we are trying to deal with very stressful situations, we inevitably start thinking of the worst.

We keep telling ourselves we have heart disease or diabetes or cancer. We feel doomed.

And, indeed, the power of the mind and our thinking is such that many of us do end up falling ill, as we imagined.

I decided I was going to tell my body that I had the power to heal.

I started visualising my bladder in my mind, visualising helper white blood cells visiting the prostate, shrinking it and healing it.

I took some tablets for two months, which helped, but the symptoms recurred when I stopped taking them.

Along with ginger and cardamom tea, I took gokshur guggul (ayurvedic herbal formulation for urine flow) for a couple of weeks but my main treatment was talking positively to my bladder and prostate and changing my prophecy of illness to one of a healthy body hope and optimism.

Surrendering to the almighty, universal, spiritual energy, and connecting to its healing power in meditation, was energising.

For several months, I have not needed any medication and the urine flow has vastly improved the frequency is normal.

In her book, Your Body Believes Every Word You Say, Barbara Levine talks about "seed thought", which is a significant catalyst for physical or emotional response.

A seed thought is a thought you think frequently, that emanates from or creates your core beliefs.

Our belief systems influence our emotions and behaviour, our fears and anxieties.

One way of changing our belief systems is to talk to our minds regularly, reminding and reaffirming about the positive and powerful nature of our being.

Practising the use of positive phrases in daily living forms a habit, for example, "that is an interesting challenge", rather than, "I am hopeless at computers".

Another popular one, which enables us to forgive and support each other, is "I love you but I do not approve of your behaviour", instead of " you are a horrible person".

Negativities aimed at ourselves or others cause disease. If, inspite of all efforts, you fall ill, blame it on destiny.