The Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise
The loving kindness exercise for me was not as effective as the subtle mind exercise. I enjoy types of relaxation techniques where I do not have to have an audio cd in order to execute them. The voice on the loving kindness exercise almost was enough to creep me out and break my concentration. Loving kindness was more about gaining control of our self-centeredness and making ourselves more open to those whom are around us: to love and make more room for them. I do not tend to have an issue with this but in regards to issues with taking care of myself and ensuring my mind/body/spirit is balanced. The subtle mind exercise really achieved what I was looking for in a relaxation therapy. Focusing on my breathing and exploring my inner most consciousness really gave me some insight onto what is on my mind the most: stressful situations. I now know what works for me and how I can continue to open up my mind and clear my thoughts in order to give my brain some rest from the everyday stressors it faces. Focusing on my breathing has always been an effective tool for me to calm myself; especially during yoga.
The connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness
Spiritual to mental to physical wellness is all connected. I know that when I am spiritually fulfilled, my mind set is top notch, and I’m motivated to exercise and just overall be a good person. If something wrong (like I need to repent or spend some time in prayer) it throws off my mentality which affects the physical me. How many times have you woke up and just had been in horrible spirits and mood then you notice you are getting a headache and your tensing up in your upper back and arms? This is a normal stress response and I lessen my stress by means of prayer. Mentally I need to work on relaxation techniques and how to be the most successful in executing a healthy mind which will lead to a healthy physical body.
4 comments:
It is raining here pretty hard this morning. I was actually able to lay in bed this morning and listen to the rain pour down. As I did this I inhaled/exhaled a few times just to gain control of my thoughts, and it worked. I guess with practice it does get easier or you at least remember to take control of your mind.
I find prayer to be beneficial when I am stressed or feeling overwhelmed. Prayer is a wonderful technique to calm the mind and find inner peace.
~Davis~
I love how you said that you can use this to "give your brain some rest". That is a very apt description of what it felt like it was doing! When you are able to let your thoughts wander without having to "cling" to any of them, you are able to step back and see what your mind wants to do, and then give it a break from those things to allow it to focus on what you would like to spend your energy on instead.
I also hadn't considered the spiritual connection to the mind-body the way you described it, but it makes a lot of sense to me. You're right- when something is wrong, it does throw off your mental and physical wellness! Thank you for sharing that insight.
I too favor relaxation techniques that I can do anywhere due to the lack of extraneous equipment needed. All I really need is something that I can do in 5 minute increments while sitting in a waiting room, wandering through the grocery store, or waiting for my daughter to get off the bus.
Janelle R
Davis,
This exercise was so relaxing. I used this while in the hospital bed today and tonight when I got home to what I like to call "deflate".
Tina
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