Hi Everyone,
The 2 mental exercises I would choose to keep in my daily regimen are 1) Meeting Aesclepius and 2) The Subtle Mind Practice. The reason I like these is because I appreciate the practice in clearing the mind and learning how to keep a quiet mind for longer periods of time. And, I also like the idea of sitting across from a person that I admire and being inspired by their traits. I enjoy knowing that we are all alike, therefore, what we envy in others, we have in ourselves.
I have found that when I wake up late at night and I am thinking about everything that needs to be done the next day, I instantly practice the Subtle Mind exercise. A lot of times, I find that the silence in the night only helps those chaotic thoughts become bigger and more overwhelming. I believe this is due to not having any distractions to help ease the mind. So, Subtle Mind helps me keep those thoughts to a minimum, while I practice focusing on the peaceful part of my spirit.
I have also found that when life gets tough, I look towards the people who seem to have it all figured out and are happy all the time, and wonder how they do it. By practicing that they are across from me, sharing their words and their love, I can almost feel the unity in all of us and I find myself taking on how I believe they see the world. This helps me not only cope, but also to remain hopeful that there will come a time when I will just see the problems of the world in a peaceful manner, instead of being tormented by them.
I sincerely appreciated the exercise in the book this week. As my DB said, I pictures three very happy times in my life and I am finding that when I think about them, I am recalling my happiness, lightness, and health. These are great qualities to not only focus on, but to also practice feeling all the time. Why should we wait for moments to be happy when we can train ourselves to be mostly happy? Does this mean we will look for moments of sadness then? HA! Can one ever be too happy? (Some do seem to have this annoying quality, ha!).
I loved and appreciated every one of these exercises. Even though I was ill for at least 2 of them, I still learned from them. These are exercises that I will incorporate into my runs, my daily routine, and my sleepy nights. Only positivity can result from these exercises!
I loved this class and it came at the perfect time!
Have a great week everyone!
Good luck on your final projects next week!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Unit 7 -- Meeting Aesclepius
Hi Everyone,
This week's guided imagery brought up a lot of feelings and issues that I wasn't aware of (to this degree). When I pictured the person who I admire and respect and went through the exercises I found myself feeling somewhat reluctant and silly because I couldn't picture myself being that wise or relaxed. Although I know the person I chose has practiced for years (decades) and this is a result of all the practicing, I found it hard to believe I too could be like that. I think it came down to my ego stepping in the way. When I tried seeing the light go from their throat into mine and the light going from their heart into mine, I felt very vulnerable, like I wasn't worthy of this. My ego was flashing pictures of myself that were not conducive to the type of person I was seeing. For example, the person I admire doesn't drink. However, I enjoy having a drink with my close friends and I feel closer to my friends when we can have a few glasses of wine. I also kept thinking of things I have said, even in the past 24 hours, that were not what this wise person would engage in. For example, I was annoyed with my daughter's friend's mom, so I was telling another friend what happened and why I was so annoyed. I added a little more opinion than needed to be there. The person I honor would not have done this, or would have at least made it more productive.
So, with this new knowledge, I have a part of me that I have recognized as a potential obstacle. What comforts me is knowing that whatever this obstacle is, I will get past it if I keep up with my daily mental exercises. I don't believe there is really anything that can't be overcome with the use of mental exercises.
This week's guided imagery brought up a lot of feelings and issues that I wasn't aware of (to this degree). When I pictured the person who I admire and respect and went through the exercises I found myself feeling somewhat reluctant and silly because I couldn't picture myself being that wise or relaxed. Although I know the person I chose has practiced for years (decades) and this is a result of all the practicing, I found it hard to believe I too could be like that. I think it came down to my ego stepping in the way. When I tried seeing the light go from their throat into mine and the light going from their heart into mine, I felt very vulnerable, like I wasn't worthy of this. My ego was flashing pictures of myself that were not conducive to the type of person I was seeing. For example, the person I admire doesn't drink. However, I enjoy having a drink with my close friends and I feel closer to my friends when we can have a few glasses of wine. I also kept thinking of things I have said, even in the past 24 hours, that were not what this wise person would engage in. For example, I was annoyed with my daughter's friend's mom, so I was telling another friend what happened and why I was so annoyed. I added a little more opinion than needed to be there. The person I honor would not have done this, or would have at least made it more productive.
So, with this new knowledge, I have a part of me that I have recognized as a potential obstacle. What comforts me is knowing that whatever this obstacle is, I will get past it if I keep up with my daily mental exercises. I don't believe there is really anything that can't be overcome with the use of mental exercises.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Unit 6 -- Assessment
Hi Everyone,
Feeling *much* better! Hooray!
The assessment and exercise were very eye-opening for me this week. As I sat there speaking the phrases from the exercise, I felt myself opening up to the world and feeling like I had so much more to give than what I was currently giving. It was a pretty amazing feeling. I have to mention, though, my ego was going crazy with this realization. I kept having these thoughts of "Sure that all sounds well and good, but with what time would I be able to help anyone else out? I already have a big family to take care of. What time do I have left for that?". However, if my inner mind is saying I have the desire and ability than I believe I will make the time. Although I know this practice of universal loving kindness can simply be me meditating, something inside of me wanted to do something more. Perhaps this is revealing a path for me to pursue in life?
As for the assessment, I realized that my spiritual needs are the first and foremost concern. I have let a lot of things come into the peacefulness of my spiritual beliefs and it has left me tired and frustrated. So, for the first area to concentrate on, I am going to be looking into my spiritual self and finding ways (through meditation and mental exercises) to relate to a spiritual feeling again.
My family and I have been working on nutrition and fitness, so I feel like these areas are being pursued and are growing.
I would also like to continue finding ways to bring peacefulness to myself and those around me. It is time to open the windows, perhaps plant a few flowers, and get back out into nature now that winter is pretty much gone for the year. This not only sounds relaxing to my mind and body but to my spirit as well.
I enjoyed being able to focus in on areas that I feel need attention and finding out what that looks like and having ideas on how to fulfill it. I also enjoyed realizing my untapped potential in the area of helping people!
Have a great everyone! : )
Feeling *much* better! Hooray!
The assessment and exercise were very eye-opening for me this week. As I sat there speaking the phrases from the exercise, I felt myself opening up to the world and feeling like I had so much more to give than what I was currently giving. It was a pretty amazing feeling. I have to mention, though, my ego was going crazy with this realization. I kept having these thoughts of "Sure that all sounds well and good, but with what time would I be able to help anyone else out? I already have a big family to take care of. What time do I have left for that?". However, if my inner mind is saying I have the desire and ability than I believe I will make the time. Although I know this practice of universal loving kindness can simply be me meditating, something inside of me wanted to do something more. Perhaps this is revealing a path for me to pursue in life?
As for the assessment, I realized that my spiritual needs are the first and foremost concern. I have let a lot of things come into the peacefulness of my spiritual beliefs and it has left me tired and frustrated. So, for the first area to concentrate on, I am going to be looking into my spiritual self and finding ways (through meditation and mental exercises) to relate to a spiritual feeling again.
My family and I have been working on nutrition and fitness, so I feel like these areas are being pursued and are growing.
I would also like to continue finding ways to bring peacefulness to myself and those around me. It is time to open the windows, perhaps plant a few flowers, and get back out into nature now that winter is pretty much gone for the year. This not only sounds relaxing to my mind and body but to my spirit as well.
I enjoyed being able to focus in on areas that I feel need attention and finding out what that looks like and having ideas on how to fulfill it. I also enjoyed realizing my untapped potential in the area of helping people!
Have a great everyone! : )
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Unit 5 -- Subtle Mind Practice
Hi Everyone,
Although I am still not feeling 100%, I am feeling a lot better this week! Hooray! : )
I found this week's exercise to have been the hardest one for me yet. The reason this one seemed harder than last week's (minus feeling super sick), is because last week we were told to focus on specific things. Although my mind wandered a lot, I felt like I was still getting some of the relaxation benefits. When I had to focus on someone I loved, I was able to do that (especially when I imagined him bringing me chicken noodle soup!). When I had to focus on those who challenge me, I was able to do that, simply because I was already feeling fired up. However, this week, it was to focus on breath and basically let the mind relax. All I can say is 1) I definitely need to practice this every day and 2) I have already felt the differences within me!
So why do I need to practice this every day? Like a lot of other people, my mind is racing 24/7. I will even go as far as to say that even while I sleep my brain is scurrying from thought to thought. The reason I say this is because even my dreams revolve around grocery shopping, work, appointments, etc. What ever happened to those fun dreams where you can fly? Ha! Even though I make lists and have my Google calendar accessible wherever I go, I find myself reviewing all my obligations, my appointments, my lists, etc. Overlapping those thoughts are personal predictions on what those obligations are going to lead to (more obligations), listing out everything I need to remember to say and bring to the appointments, reviewing my lists for anything forgotten, etc. On top of that is thinking about the people involved in those activities and my past experiences with them, wondering what certain comments meant, what their body language was saying, etc. As I am going through these thoughts, then there are all the other thoughts going on in my head, reviewing my feelings, recalling things I heard on the news, thinking of family and friends, being nostalgic, etc. Of course I can't write out all my thoughts, and I realize this was quite a rant, but it just goes to show the layer upon layer of busy thoughts going through my head. What scares me is each of these thoughts, memories, predictions, analyzations, etc. have an emotional impact on me. Those emotions then signal to my body to respond in a defensive way. So, I could be driving along in my car, and although I am having a nice relaxing drive, my body and mind are twisted in agony from all the unending thoughts, various emotions, etc. It's exhausting just writing about it, let alone imagining how much deeper and what bigger impact this is having on my body and spirit!
With this exercise, I found it harder because of everything mentioned above. My spirit and body were more than happy to participate in this guided exercise, but my mind had a harder time. Last week I was told to focus on something, so my mind seemed at ease, but this week, to notice but not buy into the ongoing stream of thoughts was driving my mind crazy. There were times, when focusing on breath, were I felt the calmness and peace, and then suddenly I realized that along with feeling, my mind was trying to frantically attach images, memories, etc. to this feeling. It was actually quite humorous.
As I went into this exercise deeper (and even repeated it because I enjoyed feeling relaxed), my body loosened up. I wasn't noticing the lingering symptoms of my cold. It was like a mental vacation. Granted my focus was interrupted a lot, but I just followed the guide and brought my focus back to my breath.
I am going to practice this each day. My best friend is very much into meditation and she says the more you practice, the easier it gets. I would love to "act with intention" instead of reacting in life (Dacher, 2006).
I am thinking this might be a great listening to exercise to do as I run as well. Each day (when not sick), I go out and run in order to clear my head, grab some alone time, and work on keeping my body healthy. I find that after a certain point of running, my head just clears and I feel calm. Using this guidance, I am wondering how this will deepen my calm or change my process. Along with running, I hope to use this, with meditation, in order to practice quieting my mind and enriching my life experience.
I truly believe that since the mind, body, and spirit are connected, it is imperative to keep these balanced and as healthy as possible. As I am witnessing, once one becomes out of balance, there is a ripple effect throughout the whole body/mind/spirit. I am hoping to get them back in balance again!
Have a great week everyone! : )
Although I am still not feeling 100%, I am feeling a lot better this week! Hooray! : )
I found this week's exercise to have been the hardest one for me yet. The reason this one seemed harder than last week's (minus feeling super sick), is because last week we were told to focus on specific things. Although my mind wandered a lot, I felt like I was still getting some of the relaxation benefits. When I had to focus on someone I loved, I was able to do that (especially when I imagined him bringing me chicken noodle soup!). When I had to focus on those who challenge me, I was able to do that, simply because I was already feeling fired up. However, this week, it was to focus on breath and basically let the mind relax. All I can say is 1) I definitely need to practice this every day and 2) I have already felt the differences within me!
So why do I need to practice this every day? Like a lot of other people, my mind is racing 24/7. I will even go as far as to say that even while I sleep my brain is scurrying from thought to thought. The reason I say this is because even my dreams revolve around grocery shopping, work, appointments, etc. What ever happened to those fun dreams where you can fly? Ha! Even though I make lists and have my Google calendar accessible wherever I go, I find myself reviewing all my obligations, my appointments, my lists, etc. Overlapping those thoughts are personal predictions on what those obligations are going to lead to (more obligations), listing out everything I need to remember to say and bring to the appointments, reviewing my lists for anything forgotten, etc. On top of that is thinking about the people involved in those activities and my past experiences with them, wondering what certain comments meant, what their body language was saying, etc. As I am going through these thoughts, then there are all the other thoughts going on in my head, reviewing my feelings, recalling things I heard on the news, thinking of family and friends, being nostalgic, etc. Of course I can't write out all my thoughts, and I realize this was quite a rant, but it just goes to show the layer upon layer of busy thoughts going through my head. What scares me is each of these thoughts, memories, predictions, analyzations, etc. have an emotional impact on me. Those emotions then signal to my body to respond in a defensive way. So, I could be driving along in my car, and although I am having a nice relaxing drive, my body and mind are twisted in agony from all the unending thoughts, various emotions, etc. It's exhausting just writing about it, let alone imagining how much deeper and what bigger impact this is having on my body and spirit!
With this exercise, I found it harder because of everything mentioned above. My spirit and body were more than happy to participate in this guided exercise, but my mind had a harder time. Last week I was told to focus on something, so my mind seemed at ease, but this week, to notice but not buy into the ongoing stream of thoughts was driving my mind crazy. There were times, when focusing on breath, were I felt the calmness and peace, and then suddenly I realized that along with feeling, my mind was trying to frantically attach images, memories, etc. to this feeling. It was actually quite humorous.
As I went into this exercise deeper (and even repeated it because I enjoyed feeling relaxed), my body loosened up. I wasn't noticing the lingering symptoms of my cold. It was like a mental vacation. Granted my focus was interrupted a lot, but I just followed the guide and brought my focus back to my breath.
I am going to practice this each day. My best friend is very much into meditation and she says the more you practice, the easier it gets. I would love to "act with intention" instead of reacting in life (Dacher, 2006).
I am thinking this might be a great listening to exercise to do as I run as well. Each day (when not sick), I go out and run in order to clear my head, grab some alone time, and work on keeping my body healthy. I find that after a certain point of running, my head just clears and I feel calm. Using this guidance, I am wondering how this will deepen my calm or change my process. Along with running, I hope to use this, with meditation, in order to practice quieting my mind and enriching my life experience.
I truly believe that since the mind, body, and spirit are connected, it is imperative to keep these balanced and as healthy as possible. As I am witnessing, once one becomes out of balance, there is a ripple effect throughout the whole body/mind/spirit. I am hoping to get them back in balance again!
Have a great week everyone! : )
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