This week the mental fitness practice incorporates the concept of the subtle mind (Dacher p.75).
- Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.
This exercise was easier for me to do than the loving kindness as it had less steps. Breathing is something that is easy to control and it is relaxing. The loving kindness exercise did not "relax" me or calm my mind. It did make me appreciate different people in my life and it also made me pay attention to who I care about. The Subtle mind exercises goal is stillness of mind. I have done a ton of work in this area already in my spiritual pursuits. I have done an exercise where I sit across from another with my eyes closed for hours remaining conscious and working on just being where I am.
I have then taken this further and sat with my eyes open across from another without added movement (blinking and swallowing OK). This is an exercise in discipline and I found it has helped keep my mind out of it. It quieted my mind and allowed me to be a great listener and communicator.
2. Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.
As I see things the spirit is boss. This is directly apposed to ancient alcamy and Jung psychiatry, which believes that the emotional leads to spiritual development. I think that emotion is a result of the spirit, mind connection and results in motion to handle the physical universe.
In other words if a task is percieved as difficult and a person is having a hard time they might get angry. This is a result of not meeting the purpose of the activity. A person might have a purpose that is not being met and is therefore angry rather often. This translates to the mind and physical wellness.
In my personal life I work to meet the goals that align with my purpose of seeing others doing well. I align my goals to this purpose and help with nutrition overall health. I strive to gain more knowledge of life and therefore am always walking the spiritual walk.
Joseph:
ReplyDeleteAre you in fact in the nutrition field? Can you tell me a little bit about what you strive to do on a daily basis?
I think I enjoyed the Loving Kindness exercise more than the Subtle Mind exercise because it had to do with people that I care about. Love and warmth is an important part of my life and it keeps me going. I always want more and give more too.
When achievuing tasks, I can understand when it can't be accomplished someone may get angry. This anger could be perceived more as a frustration, than actual anger. A person can also be disappointed rather than angry. I suppose it depends on the person and the importance of task to determine whether or not the emotion is angry or not.
As you, I am always striving to be a better person and providing the love and guidance to those who want to have some consultation with their nutritional and wellness goals.
Look forward to hearing more about yourself.
Yours in health,
Andrea
Hello Joseph,
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your comments on the emotions and spirituality, I am thinking that if you have your emotions trained and in check, then you can focus in on your spiritual development. But on the other hand if you have a confident spiritual connection then it can guide you toward emotional development. What a dilema! I now think that it does not matter, they are both connected and with out the other you cannot flourish mentally.
I think it's great you've been practicing meditation for some time now. That exercise you were talking about where you sit across from someone with eyes closed then eyes open sounds very interesting! How do you think it helped you to be a better communicator? Do you suppose it offered your mind some practice at being more patient and open?
ReplyDeleteI too find the subtle mind exercise to be very relaxing. I feel like the loving kindness exercise is very helpful in improving relationships and releasing old ties and negativity. But I personally enjoy the subtle mind exercise more.