Posts
Loving-kindness Compared to the Subtle-mind Practice:
The loving-kindness exercise reminds me of a prayer whereas the subtle-mind practice reminds me of a meditation. The loving-kindness exercise is more of an externally-focused practice, one meant to affect things outside of yourself even more than within yourself. The subtle-mind practice is an exercise that seems more focused on calming and centering yourself and your thoughts, and is therefore more of a meditative practice in my opinion.
This practice focuses on awareness of the pattern and pace of our breathing. It puts emphasis on the rhythm and calmness of our breathing to bring us to a place of stillness, a place within where we're instructed to dwell without losing complete notice of our breathing.
Like loving-kindness, the hardest part of the exercise is settling the mind, but Dacher (2006) notes that the difficulty experienced when we first attempt to quiet the mind is common and dissipates with continued and consistent practice
Mind-body connection and Holistic Wellness:
The mental and physical elements of wellness are interrelated and cannot be discussed or analyzed apart from each other. A person can become more prone to physical ailments like heart disease due to an ailing emotional heart, as purported by Dr. Dean Ornish (2005). I have experienced a great deal of emotional distress in the past few years and as that distress has intensified it has had an adverse effect on my physical health, especially in the exacerbation of chronic joint pain and migraine headaches. To date, I still experience chronic joint pain and regular migraines despite the meditative exercises within the course curriculum, but just like someone who becomes obese: The problem didn't occur over night and its remediation will require on-going and consistent treatment to restore my mind and body to pre-trauma status.
I love your comparison of the loving kindness exercise and the subtle mind exercise. And now that I think about it, you are completely right...one seems more like a prayer and the other a meditation. Both are great for training the mind. I have always believed that there is more to our health than just eating right and exercising, but I could never articulate what it was. This class definitely sheds lights on the other important aspects of our lives. We need to give our inner being some attention and these practices do just that.
ReplyDeleteI applaud you for continuing to practice these exercises and even though they are not taking your chronic pain away right now, I hope as you practice and get better you can see your pain disappear. I am new to this whole thing so that is my wish for you. My only suggestion to you would to never give up on your practices and always make time for yourself (things I need to remember myself). Good luck.
JTProper:
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouragement and your kind words. I practiced the subtle-mind today with the help of Meditation Oasis on iTunes; this way I can listen to the guided meditation without opening my eyes to read the next step from the text. My mind still clings to random thoughts but I find myself witnessing more than fretting over these thoughts. The mediation episode within Mediation Oasis is called "Stillness, Stability, and Balance" and it's moderated by Mary Maddux.
Check out the podcast, with the iPhone you can stream right through the device.
You have done a great job of explaining the differences between the exercises. I have had a difficult time focusing but this form of exercise takes practice just like everything in our life and the benefits far outweigh the time.
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ReplyDeleteI really love to read your post. I learn something from them every time. I know what you mean when you say we don't give to ourselves like we do with our families. We come last if at all. I think we will soon start learning that if we are not well, how can we keep them healthy? Great post
ReplyDeleteElizabeth:
ReplyDeleteThanks, and you're absolutely right. Many of us are likely coming to the realization that our lives, and therefore our minds, are way too busy day in and day out. As women, it's common for us to give so much to our kids, aging parents, spouses, friends, and pets that when it's time for us to give to ourselves there's nothing left to give. Over time, our depleted emotional tanks leave us susceptible to stress and then stress-related and/or other preventable diseases (e.g., cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, et al).
I think over time these practices will edify our witnessing mind and we will learn which thoughts to accept and which to reject.
Mary:
ReplyDeleteThanks, I am glad that my posts are helpful. We must realize that if we are well our families are well; if we are ill, overspent, and detached our family feels it and we all suffer. It's hard to prioritize when EVERYTHING feels like it's jockeying for first place, but maybe we can just start by putting ourselves somewhere, anywhere, on our own to-do list.