1. Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.
Again I found this to be a waste of my time but I did try, as I do each and every week. I really want one of these to click for me thus making me still hopeful. Again I was not impresses with the voice of this person, and was hopeful for the greater patience that was talked about in the start, and on to breathing I can do this one (maybe). I do not think I have time in my day to add this practice as well as the loving-kindness one, but I will keep going. There was a lot of waiting time that was very frustrating to me, I do not like to do the thinking/mediation/whatever and I just felt that again my time could have been better spend on the project that is due this week along with all of the reading for this section. Again I do respect mediation as a whole but it is just not for me. I am happy to read about others experience as well as how it is or is not working for them.
2. Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.
I think that each person connects their spiritual wellness and their physical wellness in different ways, although some people might like the same thing it is usually two different experiences. For my I like to run and lift weights, I also like to work in the yard as well as take walks with my family. All of these things for me are not only for my physical wellbeing but for my spiritual as well. I can remember when I was running my first half marathon and being so thankful that I was able and strong enough to do this when there are so many people who would like to do it yet are not able due to illness. I do hope that everyone is able to find something that helps them to connect their spiritual and physical wellness.
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ReplyDeleteHI Stephanie
ReplyDeleteI can understand how time is precious, I also did not get much out of the audio but the concept was will worth trying. I have tried meditation classes more than once and have not achieved what I hear others getting out of the class. I am going to keep trying but will continue to do what does work for me right now. Do you have a way to wind down and relax?
Roberta~
DeleteI will keep trying as well, I am hopeful that one will work for me. I do these exercise when everyone else in my house is asleep so there are no distractions but it is still ahrd for me.
As for the way that I am able to wind down and relax, I go for a run, life weights, bake and hang out with my family and close friends. I am blessed with so many wonderful people in my life and it is calming to be to be around them.
What about you, how do you relax?
Best wisher~ Steph
Steph,
ReplyDeleteYou know I completely agree with you that everyone has different methods to achieve their physical and mental wellness and even though these audio exercises may not be for you, that is ok. You said that you enjoy running, do like to listen to music when you run? maybe you could find a a certain type of music that relaxes you and put on your earphones and go. By having a nice relaxing sound to listen to (instead of cars and dogs barking) you can achieve a better subtle-mind that way. I am not a runner, but I know people who are runners and they say that breathing is important.....so you can accomplish all the aspects of the audio, you are focusing on breath and coming to a subtle mind. :) You make it your own and do what works best for you. I hope you don't think I am telling you what to do, I just thought I could offer a suggestion. I know that you will get there, keep it up girl.
Hi Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteTonight was first time for me to explore the clip on subtle mind. I too am preoccupied with school, work or externship so sitting and listening to that was not benificial to me. However, I find that when I am at work, and have irate customers, and just non stop customers, as soon as it dies down, I walk outside and practice a few moments to put a halt to thoughts infiltrating my mind. I also found it useful whenever I travel to work or externship as I have one hour to one hour and forty-five minute drive. I can see a difference in practicing and am fully aware each time a new thought image, or feeling distracts me. I then what they say, call intention to this, acknowledge the thought and return to my focus.
This does help. Keep trying Dachers says not to judge one day from the next. Just keep after this and we will suceed. Its funny, my externship is with a Neurologist, and they are dealing with stress and burnout. I wrote a paper on burnout from my research...You know what I am offering them? I have no gold or silver but what I have I can give them....Tools to learn how to diminish unconstrutive thoughts that I believe are directly responsible for todays' chronic illnesses.
Mark
Wow, I do kind of think sometimes it is a waste of time, especially when I do not have the time or have to do it with noise around. Which I had to for all but one. The first one I had piece and quite and I liked it. These last one we did just wasn't for me, but there was noise I had to deal with. I did like the sound of the sea. It soothed me. The point of these exercises is to sooth our inner selves and explore who we are on the inside and to heal our inner self be come one. Relief and to keep sane. It does help to a point. We just need to learn how to slow down and get into it.
ReplyDeleteI think you are on to something when you say it is a learned ability to slow down, I hope I master it one day but not today because I still have lots to get done, including homework ;)
DeleteHi Stephanie, I think these exercises might be more helpful if you had a chance to actually focus on the task at hand. I did these exercises with a lot of noise in the background so it was a little difficult to focus...but being a single mother it is hard to have a quiet moment lol! I think if I tried these exercises first thing in the morning or right before bed when the house is quiet it would be easlier to focus and understand. I liked the subtle mind exercise better because at one point my mind was actually calmer than when I started. I do think it is important to fit in "me time" everyday even if it is for 10 minutes. :)
ReplyDeleteI think that your spiritual wellness affects your physical wellness, even if you don't realize it. If your mind and spirit is satisfied and positive, and complete, then your body has a big change in it. When you don't think about losing weight, it happens, but if you obsess over it every single day and worry and get depressed about it, you may not lose the weight, you may gain it.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I think you are right on when you said that each person has to find the spiritual and mind-body connection in their own way. It took me years to find that I get the best mind-body connection out of body building. To me, it is the one time of the day where I can clear my mind and allow my mind and body to connect and do a set task. The feeling I get from focusing on each rep I am doing does so much good for me mentally that I can't even begin to explain. It is also a great time to clear my head and rid myself of all the stress in my life.
ReplyDeleteStephanie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you these meditation exercises aren't for me. I do practice loving kindness everyday. How we think of others effects our health. Our spiritual well being is connected to physical and mental wll being. If I am doing well spiritually my mental and physical state is well.
Denise
Hi Stephanie!
ReplyDeleteMaybe the sitting kind of meditation is not for you. There are some meditation that include moving such as certain kinds of yoga. Maybe you would want to look into those. Some have you talking while you are trying to meditate and some involve music and some are more intense in the exercise. Good luck on your journey to finding a medidative practice that works for you! : )
After reading your post, it was like deja vu because I stated some of the same things in my blog as well. Personally, I preferred the Loving-kindness exercise over the subtle mind but to each there own. I think that its all about finding whatever method works for you, no matter what it be.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteWow, I have not read a critic like yours about the exercises. It seems like they are definitely not for you. However, I think if you want to develop the ability of doing it and liking it, you would. Probably because your lack of patience, is exactly why you need to practice these exercises. What if instead of focusing in the things you do not like from the exercise, you focus your mind in what you can learn from it? Probably, you will take more advantage and it will be worth it for you.
~Yesica Gonzalez.