Saturday, August 31, 2013

Subtle Mind or Raucous Mind?


Was not a huge fan of this exercise, funny because when I read through it in the book I thoroughly enjoyed it and was able to easily follow it and focus my intentions. I enjoyed the chapter and the transition from the Loving-Kindness exercise. I have tried the Subtle Mind exercise in place of the Loving-Kindness twice this week, once listening to it and once reading it; reading through it was a bit more effective and I was able to “like” it a bit more then when I listened to it; I felt like I better understood the purpose and procedure. I kept getting a bit distracted and although I was supposed to be honoring thoughts that come to the forefront of my mind and then letting them go, while not holding an extreme focus on my breathing, I kept getting distracted by the music and the long long pauses. So instead of finding the quietness that I was seeking I found myself get agitated with the music and then upset with myself for not being able to focus…a bit counterproductive I’d say :) Even now I am having a very difficult time finding my voice here and focusing on the task at hand. 



I enjoyed pondering this second question, oddly enough my other class this term is EF310- Current Trends in Exercise and Fitness- Aging Well Across the Lifespan, so I have frequently found connections between the two classes. When we have a well-developed physical and mental wellness we can then focus on our spiritual, I say it in this manner because we tend to focus on the physical and mental before the spiritual, not that that is what should be done, I just think that is human nature in our culture, this not being the case in other areas of the world.  The three areas of wellness are intricately connected and cannot exist if all aren’t developed or being developed. I think we all foster one are more than the other two, but all need to be consciously worked on.  For me, I need my spiritual well being to be in check in order for well-being to be able to manifest in the other two areas. By having a solid system of belief in which to rely on, I can help calm my mind and not feel so frazzled or bogged down by worldly concerns.  Especially in recent weeks, I have relied heavily on my spiritual nature to help me work through some concerns and allow me to be able to take care of myself. 

Until next week,

Chris

4 comments:

  1. Christine,
    Good post. I also found this one difficult and hard to sit through the long pauses without drifting off to my own stuff like homework, cooking dinner and work. It's refreshing to hear that you take care of your spiritual self first, I think it's true that its human nature to think of physical and mental health first. Maybe we should all try to pay more attention to spirituality, then possibly the other two may come easier to us?
    Colleen

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  2. Hi Chris,

    I too was agitated when I was forcing myself to relax. I can relate to your feelings. I was almost embarrassed that I felt that way. Calming your mind is not easy when you have ADHD. I am hoping that this exercise become's easier the more I do it. Good luck to you..

    Regards,

    Jill Gazelle

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  3. Chris,

    I really enjoyed reading your thoughts this week it is good to hear that you are on a spiritual healthy journey. As we are learning this is something that is important to our total health and I wish you much luck!

    Amy

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  4. Christine,

    I always enjoy reading your blogs. Making time for spiritual growth is very important. As we have all learned in the past weeks, the mind body spirit connection is what drives the body to flourish. When one of the three is underdeveloped then the body will compensate one way or another. But if more then one is underdeveloped, the body can become ill.

    I wish you the best of luck with dealing with your worldly concerns.
    Take Care,
    Christine Faust

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