Your mental fitness practice this week incorporates the concept of the subtle mind (Dacher p.75). This week, replace the Loving Kindness exercise of unit four with Practice 2: The subtle mind exercise and listen to track #3 on the Dacher CD.
- Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.
The Loving Kindness exercise requesed a comfortable peaceful mindset and a memory of a feeling of love you had for someone to compare the feeling to. while thinking of this love you were to let it run through your body reexperiencing the warmth. Then, you were directed to plce the same love you felt toward all of you thoughts. Allowing even negative thought to come in and be loved.Next,you allowed all sorts of beings and situtions into the realm of loving kindness so any feelings of negativity could be disolved.
The Subtle Mind exrcise starts out with a breathing exercise that is intended to connect the mind to the breath helping to create a witnessing mind.Instead of focusing on thoughts, feelings, and emotions simply being focused on with loving kindness, you think about your breath instead.
I think while both exercises were intersting to try the subtle mind was a little less frustrating.Redirecting my mind to a seperate option, such as the breath, was a little easier that trying to love them all.
- Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.
- the connection of spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness is great. Like physical wellness we can train or bodies to become well.With repetative practice both can improve overall health.The connection is manifested in my personal life becasue they go hand in hand. Without physical wellness I am not quite at my best mentally and vice versa. An approach to improve either area is only going to aid in the growth of the other.
Hi Rosie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on the subtle mind exercise. I found it easier to follow seeing how it was less distracting and the breaks in between allowed for deeper introspection. Meditation is fascinating. Some have referred to it as, “Listening to God.” There are great mental and physical benefits to the practice. As we stress less, we improve physical health, which contributes to our psychological wellness. It’s a very cyclical and interconnected process that constantly flows like the energy in our universe. The practice also improves our awareness of how/what we are thinking and what we are choosing to focus on. These two aspects I find key to manifesting what we want. All the best to you in your healing journey!
Namaste!
John