This week, we are to compare and
contrast our experiences with the Loving Kindness and Subtle Mind exercises.
For me, the Loving Kindness exercise was an important teaching tool for learning
how to forgive. The Subtle Mind exercise instructed how to recognize and let go of mental chatter
to obtain a state of mental clarity. At the start of the Creating Wellness
class, I found it very difficult to concentrate on the meditation exercise.
Today, I noticed that it seemed much easier to concentrate on the exercise
despite the noise in and around my house. My husband was in the kitchen making
noise. The kids were bouncing the basketball in the driveway outside my window.
However, I was not disturbed by any of it like I was with the first meditation
we did. If you remember, I was searching inside and outside of my house for a
completely quiet spot. I didn’t need
complete silence this time; in fact, I just about fell asleep.
To answer the next assignment question, spiritual wellness is
connected to mental and physical wellness by “ease and lightness entering our
life and cleanse our mind and body…extends our ability to prevent mental
distress and physical illness, enhances recovery from disease, and promotes
integral health, happiness, and wholeness” (Dacher, 2006, p. 86). I can
relate to this in my own life through the comfort
that I get from the belief in an afterlife. That comfort increases mental
and physical well-being.
References
Stacey, I also have noticed that with each exercise it is getting easier to concentrate on what is at hand and focus on the meditation!
ReplyDeleteIt did seem easier to follow this guided meditation for me as well, at least for the 16 out of the 22 minutes. I am sitting at Denny's working on school work after a 10 hour overnight shift and I was able to ignore the clatter of dishes, silverware, and chatter noise of the restaurant. The five minutes of silence in the guided meditation became extremely difficult for me. Probably because I am so extremely exhausted and stressed out about all the assignments I still have to finish before maybe getting a couple hours of sleep before having to go back to work to do another 10 hour overnight shift.... Haha! Many times when I do meditations I put myself to sleep instead of finishing a meditation. I wouldn't be surprised if the waitress here at Denny's thought I had fallen asleep! I wish!
ReplyDeleteI love the meditations, now if I could just let my family know to leave me alone to do this. I am a mom and as you know so so many thoughts run through your head and it seems unfair to those you are thinking about to not think about them . I should see if they would like to try these with me. On that note, I really dont like the guided meditations, rather I like OM meditations. I don't have to concentrate on what the guide is telling me to do, I can just relax.
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteI had a similar understanding of the two audio clips. I liked them both, they were very calming. Which one did you like better? I noticed you said something about the comfort you get from knowing there will be an afterlife, and I was wondering at what point in your life you discovered your spirituality? Were you raised that way or did you find out for yourself?
Sincerely,
Beth D.