The two exercises I have found most beneficial are the loving kindness exercise, and the subtle mind exercise. The loving kindness helps me extend love and positive energy to others. I can visualize sending good thoughts toward people I know are struggling. I can imagine sending warm thoughts to people I come in contact with such as the checker at the store or the restaurant server. I can use this in my mental fitness practice to help tame the business of my mind and reflect on other people. I can visualize helping them, smiling at them, being at peace with them. Through this practice I don't feel impatient or intolerant. It actually helps me feel good about myself to send love to others in this practice.
The other practice, the subtle mind practice, is one of my favorites for calming the mind. To enter a quiet place and yet not escape into a sleeping state is absolutely blissful. I find I can focus on my breathing over and over as my mind wants to wander. When I am finished with this exercise, I feel completely relaxed and at peace yet energized in a new way. I am able to think more clearly for the rest of the day. Perhaps because I have cleared out the clutter. I can use this exercise in my mental fitness program to practice mental focus. I believe learning this skill will help in my everyday life when I need to block out distractions and focus my mind on a task.
Both of this practices will become part of my mental fitness practice.
Sherry
Hello Sherry,
ReplyDeleteUsing both of these exercises to foster your mental fitness is an excellent idea. I love how you state that the subtle mind exercise allows you on breathing over and over as your mind want to wander and the loving-kindness exercise helps you extend love and positive energy to others. Loving Kindness exercises proved beneficial in that it forced me to focus on others and not just myself. It is indeed a difficult task to tame the wandering mind.
Great post
Sherry,
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed both these exercises. I have been using them daily and find the calmness afterwards helpful for sleeping a deeper sleep. They are a good reminder of the intent of my life. My family, helping those that can't help themselves, and on loving. Having a daily practice has helped me get through the struggles of school stress!
Almost done! I can visualize myself at the end.
Sherry, I think it is so great that you were able to benefit from the meditation exercises. I think that you might also enjoy Dr. Wayne Dyers "Getting in the Gap" guided meditation cd
ReplyDeleteHey Sherry, I too chose those meditation exercises as my favorite to practice. I feel whole when I practice these and I look at people with a different perspective than I did before. I have taken a lot from this class and the meditation exercises!
ReplyDeleteI too absolutely love the subtle mind practice. I have incorporated it into my life as well. Admittedly, not everyday, but frequently. Each time I do, I feel renewed. It is a great tool
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