Subtle Mind Exercise

I found the subtle mind exercise to be more challenging than the loving-kindness exercise.  Primarily, I thought the loving-kindness exercise was easier because the entire exercise was guided.  I was surprised how much my mind wondered with the subtle mind practice.  The way Dacher decribes it as "grasping" onto thoughts was a perfect description.  I found that initially it was easier to catch a thought and let it dissolve, but the longer that exercise went on, the more difficult it was to catch the thought right away.  I would catch myself down the road from the initial thought onto my third or fourth thought, which would quite often even be on a different topic than the initial thought my mind had "grasped" onto. 

Although it was more challenging to me as the exercise progressed, I did have some success with the exercise as well.  I was able to experience my open, expansive mind while observing my thoughts and having them dissolve away.  I have to admit it was pretty awesome.  Another thing I liked about the subtle mind practice is that once you know how to do it, it can be done without the tape.  Which means it can be done anywhere, and anytime.  I have found that aspect to be helpful, and it increases the likelihood of me continuing it.

Just as the mind and body are interconnected, our spirit dwells within us and is interconnected as well.  Our ability to access it is determined by our ability to move from our witnessing mind, to our subtle mind of calm-abiding, and eventually to unity consciousness. The ability to access our spirit occurs as we grow psychologically and mentally. Conversely, desiring to grow spiritually creates within us the to desire to grow psychologically.  In this way the two work hand in hand.  At times it is the desire for psychospiritual growth that drives us, and at others it is the desire for spiritual growth that drives us.  Either way the outcome is that as we grow psychologically we ultimately grow spiritually.  The physical body benefits from this growth because our thoughts and emotions drive our physiology.  When we are healthy mentally and spiritually, we are going to be healthy physically as well.

In my personal life, I find that any positive experience or growth psychospiritually or spiritually increases my feelings of well-being.

Kathy

Mental Workout

Just like physcial training leads to an increase in physical strength, so will mental workouts lead to the strengthening of our expanded consciousness.  Neuroscience is studying how contemplative practice can impact attention, memory, perception, imagery, as well as other mental functions.  Research studies have shown that mental training can transform the mind.  Negative emotions can be reduced, and positive ones can be enhanced. This mental transformation can lead to resistance to mental distress and physical disease, and expand our healing capacitites.  Elliot Dacher claims that all this can be acheived through the mental workout of contemplative practices.   Contemplative practice can also open us up to our inner self, to an aspect of ourselves that we can trust, and that speaks the truth.  He claims that contemplative practice leads to the progressive development of an expanded consciousness, and its healing capacities.  I can implement these mental workouts by practicing them during my "quiet time" in the morning.
Kathy

Loving Kindness

I had thoroughly enjoyed the Loving Kindness Practice.  I thought the narrator did an excellent job, and I thought the background sounds of the waves added to the experience.  The first day that I did it, the person I thought of that I hold with great love and tenderness was my youngest son.  As I allowed the loving feelings to expand within my heart, I was suddenly hit with a of such intense love, it was truly overwhelming.  Of course I knew how precious he is to me, and that I love him more than I can say, but when I was hit with the true depth of my love, I was so overwhelmed I instantly started to cry.  I tried to concentrate for the remainder of the exercise, but was somewhat in shock over the powerful reaction I'd already had.  All I kept thinking was, to have that level of love for strangers, let alone an enemy would be pretty challenging, yet I could see how healing it would be to get to that place.

The next day when I did the practice, I got through the intial part smoothly.  The next part of the practice is to turn those feelings towards yourself.  It amazed me to consider loving myself with the same intensity.  As we turned the love and care towards ourselves we were to give every sensation our loving kindness,and be at peace with our body and it's sensations.  This turned out to be an interesting time for me to do this since I had a headache.  I was able to release any hold or any anxiety over the headache & just give it my love & ease.  It was peaceful and comforting to be able to do that.

At first, I was not too happy about the thought of taking in anybody else's pain and suffering, but I did find that the narractor was correct, it did dissolve within me, and did not become a part of me.

Overall, I found it to be a very powerful exercise, and I imagine that as it is done over time, more and more would be learned about myself and especially about loving kindness.

Kathy    

Unit 3 Post

On a scale from 1 to 10 with ten being optimal health, I would rate my physical wellbeing as an 8.  I have achieved a high level of health by making major nutritional changes to my diet.  I eat almost no grains.  The only grain I eat is sprouted quinoa.  I eat NO sugar. I do eat a wide variety of fresh vegetables combined with healthy fats, and protein.   The changes in my health and wellbeing have been profound.  It has been almost two years since I began to eat this way.  I was highly motivated to do everything I could to improve my health because I was fighting a very unusual disease that the medical profession had no name or treatment for.  I am ninety percent better from this disease just from making dietary changes and using herbs.  I feel that in most areas, I am healthier than I have ever been, even though I am not totally healed from the disease, so I feel confident rating my physical health as an 8.

Using the same scale I rate my psychological wellbeing as an 8 as well.  I appreciate this assignment, because it has caused me to assess these areas of my life and being.  I have spent MANY years working on my psychological health.  As a matter of fact, as I look back I was probably unbalanced since I put so much effort into this one area of my life.  I did so out of the necessity of living in a very difficult relationship.  I found that focusing on myself was the most helpful approach to handling a difficult situation.  Focusing on my own psychological health was ultimately the path that led me out of a destructive realtionship, and has brought me more peace and freedom that I ever knew was possible. I give myself an 8, because there is always room for further growth.

My sprititual health is an area that I am not sure how to rate.  I'm going to rate it a 5.  It is the last area that is undergoing reconstruction following my sickness.  A counselor I went to questioned my faith quite a bit, and one day he said he was doing this not to question my beliefs, but to make sure they were my beliefs and not somebody else's.  I told him that is exactly what was happening.  That shift was already happening without his push in that direction.  After experiencing personal suffering, I began to feel that many people who claim to know God, really don't know him.  I'm sorry if that sounds like harsh judgement on my part, but what I mean is not to judge whether or not someone knows God, but rather to say that knowing God is not an easy thing to do.  Certainly there can be no quick answers or explanations for a being that I believe is literally indescribable, and beyond our physical human experience.  In a way, I am also tempted to give myself a 10 spiritually, because I believe that being in this place where I realize I don't really know God, but am open to knowing all about Him that HE wants to reveal to me, is for me a powerful place to be in, and exactly where I am meant to be at this time.

My goals for myself include keeping myself calm and open to growth spiritually.  I believe that as long as I keep myself free from anxiety, God will guide me in the understanding he wants me to have.  Psychologically, I plan to continue to utilize appropriate positive affirmations that help correct any wrong beliefs about myself that I might have.  Physically my goal is to continue to increase my physical strength by exercising.

I have to admit I fell asleep a few times during the relaxation exercise for this unit ... and I was sitting!  I had to rewind it a few times to catch the phrase we were suppossed to be saying to ourselves when we exhaled.  I did like the idea of focusing on my breathing, and of feeling my body relax as I exhaled.  That is an excellent exercise that I plan to use in the future.   

Thanks for reading!
Kathy

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog.  This is my first experience with blogging.  I am looking forward to a rewarding experience of learning more about the mind-body connection, and sharing my experiences here.

Happy Blogging All!

Kathy

Journey On Relaxation

I thoroughly enjoyed the relaxation exercise.  I just want to say ... my hands did feel heavy!!!  I was sitting there thinking about sending the blood to them and I started thinking; "wow! they feel really heavy", THEN the facilitator stated that your hands should feel heavy now. I was glad I was already feeling the heaviness, and did not experience it after he suggested it. That part was just wild to me.  Having such a strong psysiological reaction with little mental effort was quite an experience!.  I'm wondering if everyone had the same reaction? 

During and following the exercise, I did feel more relaxed, calm, and peaceful, yet energized and not fatigued.  I also enjoyed the facilitators voice, the whole experience made me want more.... I wonder if there is a series of similar exercises with the same facilitator!?

Looking forward to hearing what the exercise was like for the rest of you.

Kathy