1.
Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness
exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the
benefits, frustrations etc.
The loving-kindness experience was a
much easier exercise than the subtle mind exercise. I found that the loving kindness practice #1
exercise was more intriguing than the subtle mind practice #2 exercises. In the
practice #1 exercise, we were asked to visualize a loved one who was suffering
while we breathe in our in-breath. We were asked to allow the “dark cloud of
suffering to ride the in-breath into our body” and then allowing them to
completely dissolve in our heart (Dacher, 2006). The idea was to welcome all
the loving-kindness into our heart thereby diminishing our self-centeredness and
being able to share loving-kindness with others as we breathe out health, love
and happiness. This exercise was very beneficial as it allowed me to “rest in
my natural state of peace and ease,” thus eliminating the stresses of life and
leading me into the path of integral health and human flourishing (Dacher,
2006).
The subtle mind practice #2 exercise
reflected on three levels of the psychospiritual flourishing, namely the
witnessing mind, calm-abiding and unity consciousness (Dacher, 2006). The aim
was to train the mind from the ceaseless mental activity of thoughts, feelings
and images. In comparing both exercises I found that the subtle mind was a
little more challenging than loving-kindness.
It took more effort to maintain my focus; this could possibly due to the
prolonged period of time before the narrator returns to give more instructions.
For whatever reason the rushing water seemed to become my focal point during
this process, which I would consider a little distracting, even though it
soothes the thought, but it prevented me from taming and controlling the mind.
Instead of the mind becoming still I was more absorbed by the sound of the
waves and the soft playing of the background music. However, I must say the
soothing voice of the narrator did allow my mental activity to enter into a
relaxing mood and I almost wanted to fall asleep but had too much to do. The
narrator made a very accurate statement about being pulled away involuntarily.
I found that I had to bring my thought back into awareness in order to maintain
my focus. The benefits derived from this
practice were not very rewarding because of the difficulty I had keeping my mind
focused and due to the length of pause between instructions. I would like to repeat
this process so I can gain better control of my mind as I bring it into
consciousness.
2.
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 vital for an individual if he or she is to
experience human flourishing. It is important for one to maintain a spiritual
connection to a higher power through meditation and prayer. By doing this it not only helps the
individual spiritual connection that gives the person a deeper sense of their spiritual
awareness, it also helps the mental and physical aspect of a person’s life. Since
I am passionate about nutrition and whole foods, I believe that proper
nutrition along with exercise are vital if one is to experience both physical
and mental wellness. However, without a spiritual connection, proper nutrition
and exercise alone would not create the spiritual wholeness that is needed for
an individual to sustain a spiritual connection. There are few things that are
observed when individuals are connected with a higher power. Body, mind and
soul are affected by this connection thus spiritual connection prevents one
from illnesses such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.
The connection manifests itself in
my personal life by allowing me to experience peace, joy, calmness, love,
forgiveness, and being tolerable and patient with others even if they make it
difficult. It also helps me be more appreciative
of others.
Reference:Dacher, E.S., (2006). Integral Health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA:Basic health publications, Inc.
Christie,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post. My experience was the exact opposite. I was able to relax and calm my mind when I focused on only me. When I had to try to think about other people and their issues, I could no longer relax. I work with people all day, so I enjoy my personal time when I get it.
I think that even though nutrition and exercise are crucial for a healthy body, the mind is just as important. If we are stressed or filled with hopelessness and despair the body will become ill. But when we are in a good mental place and living a healthy life style, the body will flourish.
Christine Faust