A Kundalini Approach to Burnout
The three functional minds and mindful journaling. By Linda Kleida Romera
Reading time: 4-5 minutes
Burnout is increasingly common in today’s fast-paced world as we juggle work, relationships and self-care. Kundalini Yoga offers a powerful, holistic approach to understanding and managing burnout by working with the ‘three functional minds’: the Negative, Positive, and Neutral Minds. Each mind plays a unique role in how we handle stress, set boundaries and find fulfilment. By bringing awareness to these aspects, we can better navigate burnout, fostering both prevention and healing.
Here is how each of these functional minds impacts our experience with burnout, along with some targeted journal prompts to help build resilience, promote balance and facilitate burnout healing.
1. THE NEGATIVE MIND
The Negative Mind acts as an inner alert system, helping us recognise risks and set boundaries to protect our wellbeing. During burnout, this mind often becomes hyperactive, making us acutely aware of stressors and potential threats. When balanced, however, it encourages us to set healthy boundaries that help prevent burnout in the first place. Tuning into the wisdom of the Negative Mind can help us notice when we’re overextended and need to take a step back to safeguard our energy.
JOURNAL PROMPTS FOR THE NEGATIVE MIND
Reflect on recent experiences that felt overwhelming or stressful. What was your Negative Mind trying to protect you from? What personal boundaries can support burnout prevention in your life? Are there any boundaries you need to reinforce or establish? Are there areas of life where your Negative Mind prompts you to say “no”? How can you respect this inner boundary without feeling guilty?
These prompts encourage us to recognise the valuable role of the Negative Mind in burnout prevention, allowing us to set limits and protect our energy.
2. THE POSITIVE MIND
The Positive Mind fuels our inner drive for growth, encouraging us to pursue possibilities with enthusiasm and optimism. It keeps us open to new experiences and hopeful about what’s possible. However, when unchecked, the Positive Mind can lead to overcommitment, pushing us to take on more than we can handle. For many, burnout arises when this mind dominates, driving a cycle of ‘doing more’ despite feeling exhausted. Learning to align the Positive Mind with intentional choices helps us prevent burnout by fostering a more sustainable pace.
JOURNAL PROMPTS FOR THE POSITIVE MIND
Think of a recent time when you felt driven to take on too much. What role did your Positive Mind play, and what impact did this have on your energy?
What are three activities or goals that truly bring you joy? How can you prioritise these to support your burnout healing?
What aspirations feel worth pursuing, even as you protect your wellbeing? How can you balance ambition with self-care?
These prompts help align the Positive Mind’s enthusiasm with self-preservation, allowing you to focus on burnout healing by creating sustainable, fulfilling choices.
3. THE NEUTRAL MIND
The Neutral Mind provides clarity and perspective by integrating the input from both the Negative and Positive Minds, allowing us to make balanced, wise decisions. In the face of burnout, this mind is especially valuable as it helps us view our circumstances without reactive emotion. Cultivating the Neutral Mind helps us step back, assess situations with calm objectivity and make choices that honour our need for rest and reflection, crucial for effective burnout healing.
JOURNAL PROMPTS FOR THE NEUTRAL MIND
Describe a recent time when you made a balanced decision in a high-stress situation. How did the Neutral Mind’s perspective help?
Reflect on how burnout feels from a neutral, non-judgemental perspective. What small changes could help you restore balance?
Recall a time when you observed your emotions without reacting to them. How did this help you find inner peace?
These prompts support burnout prevention by helping you tap into the wisdom of the Neutral Mind, guiding you to approach challenges with patience and perspective.
INTEGRATING THE 3 FUNCTIONAL MINDS IN
OUR DAILY LIFE
Understanding the three functional minds of Kundalini Yoga can be transformative for burnout prevention and healing. By recognising which mind drives our actions, we become empowered to make conscious choices that protect our energy and foster resilience. Through regular journaling, we can tune into our inner dynamics by noticing when the Negative Mind calls for rest, when the Positive Mind encourages overextension and when the Neutral Mind offers calm insight.
Alongside the meditative practices of Kundalini Yoga, journaling offers a safe space for exploration and integrating practical tools for burnout healing, allowing us to develop sustainable routines that honour our health and promote a balanced life.
This journey is an opportunity to build resilience and self-compassion, moving from burnout to balance with the supportive guidance of Kundalini Yoga’s three functional minds.
Linda Kleida Romera is a therapist, yoga teacher and complementary health practitioner. Find out more at: TeraKaurYoga.com
Linda Kleida Romera
Therapist, health coach, yoga teacher, and complementary health practitioner with 20 years of experience. She specialises in burnout healing and prevention, stress management and supporting Highly Sensitive Persons (HSPs) and Third Culture Kids (TCKs). Central London and online. OM Yoga Show London Stand - Tera Kaur Yoga
