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 practice mp3 (located in the Doc Sharing
thread).
1.
Compare and contrast the
Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience
including the benefits, frustrations etc., I have a different understanding of this Subtle mind exercises. When I listen to the loving kindness exercise, I thought it was boring. The waves irritated me, but in all truth, I am viewing this exercise in the same way except for one thing. I didn't think it was boring. There were waves. But this time, I focused on the waves and really tried to relax. I imagined myself and my husband with my 2 dogs at the beach. Oddly it was different. Maybe because I had other issues going at that time, I wasn't fully focused as I thought I had been. Also, a fellow classmate pointed out in the last loving kindness exercise that although I got nothing out of it, that someone else may have and I could use it to help them. But this time, It did help me. I needed to relax today. A lot went on this week. I am glad to have had a chance to rest in the Subtle mind exercise. I even thought the slight flute music was calming. The person talking was ok, just too much. Speak and be done. The voice interrupted my thoughts of meditation on the beach.
2.
Discuss the connection
of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the
connection is manifested in your personal life. I try and stay close in my spiritual walk with God. The spiritual wellness in a person spirit has to be in order, for the mental and physical wellness to occur. The spiritual wellness is the starting point for mental and physical wellness.There's more peace and wisdom involved. You have a background to fall on when considering issues that plague the mind.
Gail Pinkard-Rudolph
Hello Gail,
ReplyDeleteI also found this week's exercise a bit easier to follow. The instructor didn't talk as much, but I wish she would have just given the instructions and then stopped talking. The less talking involved made it easier to listen to the waves and the light flute music. It quietness of the waves made it easier this time to let go of my thoughts and clear my mind. And you're right when you say that the voice interrupted the meditation.
A lot of our spiritual wellness comes from what we think and believe. We shouldn't need to change for anyone. We need to stay true to ourselves in order to reach full spiritual wellness. If we change because we're afraid of what someone will think about what we believe, then we're untrue to ourselves and we begin to feel the effects in our spiritual wellness as well as our mental and physical wellness. I prefer to be me, no matter what anyone thinks. At least I know I'm staying true to myself and I know it will benefit me in the end.