Hello all.
The Subtle Mind practice is one I have been using to initiate meditation for some time now. I found that it was very easy for me to go through this exercise, unlike the first Loving Kindness exercise which I was not so familiar with. In comparison, they both work on understanding the mindless chatter of the mind and teaching yourself how to overcome that and dig deeper to find a higher state of being. In contrast, the loving kindness exercise was asking us to reach within ourselves to find energy to send to another person, as well as coming to terms with certain emotions related to bodies and inner self image. This is what was the hardest for me in the loving kindness practice, whereas the subtle mind exercise is a way to calm the mind and in doing so allows me to get greater understanding of my body and mind, how they each work in unison and against eachother. I think this is where spiritual, mental, and physical wellness are connected. It is through the mind and our experiences which we all are exposed to our sense of spirituality, which gives us the capacity to love and heal. With this capacity I think we are able to change our lives, which enevidible changes our bodies (for better or worse). I someone has a healthy mental and spiritual state, their bodies will react to that in a healthy manner. A great example is how depression can cause our bodies to react in a negative manner, how stess can cause our bodies to hurt, or how being nervous can cause us to sweat or shake. It is all connected.
-Stacey Smith
Hi Stacey -
ReplyDeleteI a one of those people who have been depressed at a time in my life. When I was going through my periods of depression I could see my body become crippled in a sense. I had to pry myself out of the bed on a daily basis. When I got home from work I would just get back into the bed and pull the covers over my head. I communicated very little with people who cared about me, many knew something was wrong but no one knew exactly what. The subtle mind meditation worked well for me and would have been a useful tool if I had learned it years ago. I would have been able to soley focus on my breathing and dismiss any thoughts. I like this exercise and have been doing it before I goto sleep at night.