Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Unit 4

Loving Kindness Exercise

In the last couple of weeks I have had my share of difficult circumstances and stressful moments so I thought this exercise was well needed. I enjoyed the soothing and calm voices of Dacher and the female. I listened and did as they instructed with this exercise as well as previous ones I have participated in I always struggle in the beginning to silence the chaos of my mind. But after awhile, I was completely engaged and relaxed. I put aside any unhappiness I was feeling and wrapped my mind and heart around love and those who show me unconditional love. I felt a gentle warmth over my body and felt soothed at the sounds in the background. I do recommend this exercise to others, but only if they are truly ready to absorb themselves completely in the experience.

Mental Exercise

Mental exercise is imperative to a healthy mind. It mirrors the similar experience we receive with physical exercise. We should make a goal and work diligently daily to achieve success. Research shows that engaging in mental exercise helps to work different areas of the brain that we may not tap into on a usual basis. It helps us to find clarity and sharpness in our thoughts. We can began to discern those feelings, emotions, and thoughts were are negative or harmful and replace them with ones that are more positive, focused, and caring. In essence we are giving ourselves an attitude adjustment for the better. I know that I am no where close to where I would like to be in regards to higher mental and spiritual states, but if I continue down this new path and stay committed, I know I will see even more results. It is this hope of something better and more which is keeping me motivated.

2 comments:

  1. Fantastic post! I am so glad to hear you were able to relax and focus your mind on the exercise. Unfortunately, I did not have as good of luck.

    I, too, find it very hard to focus and relax my mind when it comes to these exercises. Generally, I can get to a relax-enough state to finish the exercise. This time, however, I was unable to keep my mind focused on relaxing. I was quite upset about it.

    I would also agree with your recommendation of the exercise to others. If they are willing and able to completely focus their mind on the exercise, they will benefit from it. But only then.

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  2. That's great that you found the exercise to be beneficial. I also enjoyed being enveloped in the love I have for my loved ones. I often have a problem when turning that towards the self but I am on the lower level of "mental fitness", so I guess that's to be expected.

    And I agree that if someone is going to try this exercise they should be ready to put themselves into it the best they can. :)

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