Upon completion of reading chapter 6, review the section ‘Getting Started’
(p.66). Begin practice 1: Listen to the Introduction mp3 and Loving Kindness mp3
(both located in Doc Sharing). Practice the Loving Kindness exercise this week.
In your journal (blog), record your reaction to the exercise.
Describe your experience. Did you find it beneficial? Difficult? Why or why not? Would you recommend this to others? Why or why not?
I found this exercise to be very relaxing but difficult to attain the state of relaxation and self-consciousness needed. I live in an apartment with my boyfriend, two kitties and a 6mo old puppy; quiet and peace are not easy to come by. At first I tried performing the exercise when my boyfriend was home, however this doesn't work because he is going about with what he needs to do, I can hear him and am aware of his presence. My second attempt was early in the morning, after my boyfriend leaves for work and I put the kitties and puppy outside of the bedroom so that I could be alone. I put a pillow on my bedroom floor with the lights out and very little outside light due to the time of day and started my relaxation exercise. I think that this is a great thing to make a part of your routine because it gets you in touch of every aspect of your life; those you love, things that make you happy, things that bother you and also with people around you that you may not know but allow yourself to be open to.
What is the concept of "mental workout"? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a mental workout? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your psychological health?
The concept of a mental workout is that you must practice to build your psychospirtuality just as you would your physical being and your mental capacity. The point of "contemplative practice is not rest and relaxation but rather progressive development of expanded consciousness and its healing capacities" (Dacher, 2006). There are two types of contemplative practice, the first is loving kindness; the second is the subtle mind. Loving kindness focuses our thoughts to concern and compassion from others and away from our own needs and concerns. When we attain loving kindness the mind is calmer and more open to contemplative practices. The subtle mind addresses three levels: witnessing, calm-abiding, and unity consciousness; this opens the mind to penetrating wisdom and the truth of life and existence. These two elements heal us at the source and promote human flourishing. I think that having a daily mental work out is a positive exercise and one which can improve your overall health by opening your mind and unclouding it from the distractions and petty concerns which can distract you from what is truly important.
Reference:
Dacher, E. S. (2006). Integral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach: Basic Health Publications Inc.
Hi Megan, I too had some difficulty with this exercise, and it could have been the fact that relaxing wasn't possible, because the instructions were hard to understand. So, I concluded that I would not recommend it to someone.
ReplyDeleteI totally believe that practicing loving kindness makes our thought patterns, behavior, and attitude much better, even when having to deal with undesireable situations. It helps me to stay calm when it would be easy to ignite and turn into a volcano. I believe that it is something that we have to do regularly, just like a physical workout so that those "muscles" are prepared to deal with extra strain. Great blog!
Pam,
DeleteI also found the exercise difficult due to the simple distractions of life, and as you said the complexity of the instructions. I think for one to perform this exercise correctly they really need a quiet space completely free of distractions which they can practice the exercise often until it becomes a second nature.
Hello Megan,
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel. I had tired to do this exercise multiple times with no luck. I have a 6 month old kitten that is going through a “i am going to claw everything you own when your not looking” stage. It's really great >_< . When I finally was able to have some peace and quite I fell asleep. I personally would love to have this meditation stuff work for me, however at this time I feel that it might not happen anytime soon. I do still try to do it because I know it will be beneficial to me in so many ways. I think I will try and do it early in the morning when my boyfriend goes to work as well. The kitten is still asleep and it is just starting to get light out. Maybe this will help with the problems I have been having with these exercises. Thanks for the tip and good luck finding some peace and quite!
~Shay
Shay,
DeleteCongrats on your kitten :) Having a baby, furry or human (not to compare the two) makes it very difficult to attain the outcome this exercise is meant for. I feel that it is something that has to be done with some personal sacrifice, such as you mentioned waking up earlier or putting outside distractions (no matter how loving and cute they are) aside.
Megan,
ReplyDeleteCongrats on actually getting your relaxation this week. With your persistence and varied effort you seem to have found what works for you. Thats awesome!!! Also your description of loving kindness and subtle mind make it very clear how important mental workouts are. I didn't really look at it in a way quite like you. I also agree it is hard to clear my mind from everything, but still try and "breath out suffering of a loved one". When I think about a loved on struggling I get very emotional. I don't like it. So that makes it hard for me to relax. I hope to find my calm place, and be able to practice loving kindness, but I think I need to do this one at a time. In order for me not to get tired of it not working and stop trying. Congrats again :)
Jamie,
DeleteI agree with you in that the step of breathing out a loved ones suffering was quite difficult. I live in New Jersey and my father has retired to Nevada, he recently had to have a below the knee amputation and every time I think about it I fall apart into tears. In this exercise I let myself just cry, instead of trying to calm myself as I usually do and it did give me a sense peace with the situation because I cannot change it but I can give my love and support from afar.
I could relate to your living conditions, especially when it is time to find peace and quiet to practice meditation. I was once in a similar situation, and often wanted my own space to go off and pray or to get into my thoughts, but found it difficult to do so because of the limited living space.
ReplyDeleteLiving in a small space with furry babies and a significant other can make it quite difficult to find peace and quiet. This course has actually made me want to take up yoga classes. I think that it would be a great escape for me from respondsiblity and life's distractions for a while every week so that I can let go of the stresses and breathe a sigh of relief.
DeleteAs you said, finding a time and setting that work for you are a key part of these exercises. For me, the best part of this particular exercise was the cat curled up and purring in my lap. With the weather getting cooler, my cat follows me around until I sit down.
ReplyDeleteI like your explanation of the mental workout etc. I think you were able to phrase it in a way that I will actually be able to remember.