1. Describe
your experience. Did you find it beneficial? Difficult? Why or why not? Would
you recommend this to others? Why or why not?
For this loving kindness exercise, I actually didn’t get
much out of it until I reached the portion related to breathing in loved ones
suffering and exhaling positivity. Initially, I was in a “busy” mindset and had
a little difficulty focusing and concentrating on the exercise. But as soon as
it mentioned “suffering,” I thought about my dad’s death in 2008. It reminded
me how much he suffered before dying. I then started thinking about my mother
in law who is always in pain and suffering. I had difficulty “letting go” and I
tried hard too. Afterwards, I kept thinking about how much we are trained to
hold on to problems without ever really resolving them. So it seems that I,
like most people, may have some “control” issues.
I think that most people can relate to this exercise and
give it a try. I initially didn’t think I would get anything from it, but am surprised
to see that it helped me to reflect on the way I handled the pain and
suffering. Although my mother in law is difficult to talk to, this exercise
gave me the courage to call her and offer assistance to her.
2. What is the concept of "mental
workout"? What does the research indicate are the proven benefits of a
mental workout? How can you implement mental workouts to foster your
psychological health?
Similar to an Olympian level of fitness, a mental workout
requires daily practice designed to strengthen the minds consciousness. The
most meaningful aim of contemplative practice is not rest and relaxation but
rather the progressive development of an expanded consciousness and its healing
capacities (Dacher, E. pp. 65). A mental workout is designed to consistently train
the mind to conduct loving-kindness exercises and to have a subtle mind.
Research indicates that together these practices help us
to tame and train the mind, open the heart, expand consciousness, and progress
toward psychospiritual flourishing (pp. 66). Applying and practicing these
practices a minimum of 15 minutes daily will train the mind to become psychologically
healthy. For example, practicing loving-kindness daily by expressing love,
helpfulness, and kindness to people will return to oneself tenfold. After a
while of practicing, the routine becomes a part of the inner being, and the
result is that one will then possess the ability to express and teach others
how to do the same.
References
Dacher, E (2006) Integral Health –The Path to Human
Flourishing, Psychospiritual Flourishing, Basic Health Pub Inc.
It seems as if you have really though about this exercise and i agree with you about how hard it is to get started but through my experiences I have learned that taking one step is difficult but taking a second step gets easier.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of how difficult your mother-in-law is to talk to you still had the courage to call and offer her your help. I think this exercise really did help you open up to others and their suffering. It was a very interesting exercise and I think more individuals should be using it to help them focus on others rather than on themselves. Great post!
ReplyDeleteTony,
ReplyDeleteBeing kind and compassionate to others is something that already comes naturally to me. It is something I have done my whole life (or at least as far back as I can remember). Other people find my kindness foreign/strange because they do not openly express love, kindness, or compassion to others. I have already begun instilling these things into my daughters. One way I have done this is to encourage them to say nice things about people (even if they do not know them). So, when we are out in the grocery or in the waiting room at a doctor's office and someone strikes my girls, they will openly compliment them. Many people seem surprised to get a genuine compliment from a stranger, but you can tell it brightens their day...even just a little. I also make them say nice things about each other when they are angry with one another. It takes away from their anger and redirects their thoughts to the things they love about each other. :)
Kudos to you for taking the initiative to reach out to your mother-in-law in her time of need...I know how challenging that can be at times (when dealing with those who are more difficult to deal with). :)
-Erica
I agree with you. I did not think I was going to get anything out of it but when it stated talking about love and suffering it hit me too. The love made me really think about who I had in life and who I wished I still had in m life. For suffering I thought of my dad instantly. We have had a really rough relationship and have said things to each other that no father and daughter should say to each other. It made me really sad because I have wanted to fix this before anything new happened in my life. This exercise really did give you a mental workout!
ReplyDeleteHi Anthony.. I agree with you that we must train our minds daily. A part of mental training involves exercising the mind every day. For me it is so easy to focus on being kind and acting in a loving way every so often. Then other days i'm so caught up in my day to day activities I forget to look for opportunities to help others. Sometimes i just dont feel like being nice at all. However if we actively train the brain it becomes less of a rare thing, and more of a habit, to do acts of loving kindness.
ReplyDeleteI think the fact that you were in a mindset where you were not focused and your thoughts were wondering, and the recording eventually brought you to a calm place were you could focus and get centered. You found a connection with the recording that you identified with and I think a lot of people would do the same and find a place of peace.
ReplyDeleteAnthony,
ReplyDeleteI too really became really focused when it came to the part about breathing in loved ones suffering. My father has recently passed, so I couldn't think of any real physical suffering to take in. I then thought about my mother and the stress that she lets physically and mentally effect her each day. She makes herself sick with worry constantly. I found great pleasure In the thought that it may be possible for me to take in even the tiniest fraction of her suffering. I felt the same about taking in the sufferings of those that I felt have wronged me. I found that deep down, all I really want for them is happiness and a chance for them to find their inner selves.
Take care,
Autumn