Re-visiting Loving-kindness and Visualization

Although I've learned a lot about myself through various practices including: subtle mind, loving-kindness, meditation, and visualization, I feel that the loving-kindness and visualization practices were most beneficial for me.  One reason why I feel this way is because I have a lot going on in my head.  I found it easier to visualize on a place, object, or person than to clear my mind of all the mindless chatter.  I found myself being distracted by noises when I practiced the subtle mind practice, but not as much with the loving-kindness or visualization practices. 

Implementing these practices into my personal life will be very simple.  I am going to dedicate time out of my schedule to practice both the loving-kindness and visualization practices.  This may not be everyday but I'd like to practice between fifteen to thirty minutes a few times a week. 

There are also going to be times where utilizing these exercises will be needed on the spot.  One example is when I find myself struggling.  Since there has been a lot going on in my personal life, if I feel I needed some time to re-group, I will stop what I'm doing and make time for me.  Another time I will utilize these practices is when those who are close to me are struggling.  During these times I will take time out of my schedule to practice the loving-kindness practice.  This has already helped me once before.  During the same week we were taught the loving-kindness exercise, my husband was seeking guidance from me.  At first I felt sort of helpless, I didn't know what to say to him.  I ended up practicing the loving-kindness exercise and immediately felt better.  I was able to focus on his feelings, his hurt, and take it in.  At the same time, I was releasing love to him and creating an open heart.  I felt so much better after that exercise and was able to talk to him about it.  Because of this, I would definitely continue to use this and the visualization practices as needed.

~Jen

The Subtle Mind Practice

After having success with the loving-kindness exercise, I was pretty disappointed with the subtle mind practice.  As a quick recap, the loving-kindness exercise seemed to fit perfectly into my life as there have been some struggles, some are still currently active.  However, when I practiced the subtle mind exercise, I felt like there were too many distractions/thoughts in my mind.  I tried the exercise a few times, both times I felt pretty relaxed but perhaps it was the time of day that messed it up for me (the end of the night).  I think I will try this exercise again when I first wake up, as the book noted that before you fully awake there should be silence.  Personally, even though I'm winding down at night before bed, I always go to bed with racing thoughts, some about my day and others about things that stress me out.  With that being said, I won't let this discourage me.  I will continue to try to calm my mind as I would eventually like to obtain a clear and open mind.

In truly believe that there is a connection between your spiritual wellness and your mental and physical wellness.  Like I mentioned above, it was difficult for me to practice the subtle mind exercise.  I realize that my spiritual wellness is off at the moment and in order for me to feel better, physically and mentally, this has to be fixed.  Because I haven't been able to still my mind, I feel exhausted all the time.  I feel like I'm constantly working, there are constant thoughts going in and out of my mind, etc.  At night, I cannot calm down enough to go to bed at a reasonable time.  I always go to bed late, which causes me to feel just as tired the next morning when I wake up.  Excessive tiredness has also taken a toll on my body, as some mornings I feel like someone ran me over with a Mack truck.  These are all just reasons for me to work on improving my spiritual health.


~Jen