I can't believe that we've made it to week 5 already! Halfway through the term and I think I just may finally be getting the idea of what we are doing. I really wish that I could have taken this course during a less stressful time in my life because I don't feel like I get to devote enough time to understanding and experiencing the exercises. This week we are learning about the subtle mind and our exercise is how to achieve this...
Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.
Both exercises to me are beneficial and an excellent way to open up the mind to what I feel is a truly relaxed state. I do have to agree with a fellow student that it's a bit startling when the narrator starts speaking after a long pause, you get so relaxed and deeply focused and suddenly there is this voice out of nowhere. I jumped a couple of times. Otherwise, I was able to achieve a very relaxed state and even keep from grasping the random thoughts that were popping into my head. Both exercises, if done it the right atmosphere and approached with a positive attitude are easily done as long as I listen to the narrator guide the meditation. This weeks exercise, the subtle mind is more directed at oneself, at achieving a calm mind whereas the loving kindness is more about directing positive energies to others as well as oneself.
Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.
The more I understand about spiritual, mental and physical wellness, the more connection I can see. I already, prior to this course, believed in the power of the mind over matter in many ways. I knew that if I kept a positive outlook on life in general, life in general would be positive more often than not. The problem was learning how to come beyond the negative around me in order to maintain the positive that I desired. How we percieve our lives has an impact, directly, on the way we live our lives. Once we start working toward a healthy spiritual well-being it carries over to the other aspects of our lives both mental and physical.
Personally, since really learning about the mind-body connection, I have been working extremely hard at being positive. I am becoming a calmer, more open person. I am learning that I can manage stressful situations if I just give myself a few moments to calm my mind and spirit. I have made decisions that will directly, postively impact my total well-being and in doing so have improved my positive outlook on my life. A dear friend once told me that if you present the attitude of having the money for the things you need, that money will find you. I think I understand what he was saying now and am becoming a better, happier and more relaxed person for that understanding.
Thanks for reading! Have a happy week!
Marlyn
Hi Marlyn,
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you about the narrator. Last week's exercise I was able to relax more and identify myself with my loved one's suffering. I found this week's exercise to be harder to concentrate. I am not quite sure for the reason. Perhaps it was because I was already in a negative state of mind since I did not care too much for this week's narator. I did not find her voice soothing at all and to be honest found it a bit of a distraction for me. I tried over and over to regain concentration but the harder I tried the worse result I gained.
I'm kind of bumbed.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
~ Ana H.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI love your enthusiasm and openness to these exercises. I wish I had more of your mindset when I try to do these exercises because I sometimes can not see the benefits from them. I think part of my problem is completely these exercises during the day when it is "go-go-go" and I feel like I do not have time to relax. I need to start doing them right before I go to bed, that way I do not have any distractions.
I think it is great you are learning to become a more calm individual. Managing stress is such a useful tool; I took a stress management class last term and learned many useful tips! I think having a positive attitude really helps in managing stress. My professor told me many times it is how we perceive the stressful situation, not the stressful situation itself. Once I was aware of this, I consciously started creating new perspectives in order to decrease my stress levels.
Keep up the great work!
Joncie W.
I agree with you that this is a tough course. I think this course would make more sense as a "face to face" class. I can't tell a difference between some of the terms like unity consciousness and witnessing mind. It seems like the same thing to me.
ReplyDeleteI love that your friend told you that if you trust the money will be there then it will find you. This is how I live my life. I ALWAYS trust there is a way.. there is always a way.. if you trust life.
-Christan T.
You explained your spirituality very well. I have a hard time understanding what this term really means and now I have a better understanding. I too have learned to be more openminded and try my best to focus on the positive things and not the negative things. It becomes difficult at times but I think I'm pretty positive most of the time. I enjoy reading your posts they are always easy to read and enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteBrooke W.
Marlyn,
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you are finding how to be more positive. i tend to be the "Pollyanna" and jpeople can find that unnerving. I really never dwell ont he bad stuff. I just take it and do what needs to be done and I move on. I think it is really a personality thing. I am trying to focus more on myself because as a nurse I tend to think of others first. The subtle mind exercise is forcing me to just focus on me.
Have a great week.
Sandy N.