This week's practice, the subtle mind, was very nice and relaxing. I don't sit and try to quiet my mind often so this was very much needed. I drank a cup of tea, with raw honey to help relax me before doing this practice. I think that really helped. I have been fighting a cold all week so I thought it would be difficult to sit still and focus on my breathing since breathing has proven a difficult task in the past few days. However, this was all just "in my head". I had no problem sitting still, witnessing my thoughts, and clearing my mind. This practice was so much more enjoyable than the loving kindness technique from last week. I liked not having to think about anything, just relax and witness my thoughts and focus on my breath. I think of others often and realized how much those thoughts did come into my mind. I would practice this one more often then try to practice the loving kindness again.
At first it was a little difficult to just wait and see what was to come next. I finally let that go and was able to really focus my breathing and move away from the thoughts. The unity consciousness part was rather strange at first because I pictured my brain floating above me. Luckily, I focused on my breath and was able to just experience...nothing.
I can see this being very beneficial in wellness because if this becomes a true practice in someone's life it will eventually bleed into other parts of their life thus creating a sense of inner peace at most any time of the day. Having a clearer mind, a less muddled one for that matter, will help someone on many levels and create that inner peace that is so desperately needed. So many times one event in a day can wreck havoc on other areas of a person's life. Just being able to sit and not focus on those situations but rather acknowledge them and move on can be so beneficial. I highly recommend this practice.
Enjoy,
Melanie Davis
Melanie,
ReplyDeleteI felt compelled to respond to your post because of the statement you made regarding how one event in a day can wreak havoc on other areas of a person's life. It is amazing how quickly an event and begin and end, but how long it take to have it undo the havoc that it has created. I think many times there are so many other things going on in our lives that have stressed us out, that most of the time the event that appears to be the cause of the chaos and havoc is really just the pivotal point of where we finally break at. I truly hope some day I can relax my mind and thoughts enough to where I can release the stress before it gets to that point, or at least recognize exactly what has set me off and not focus on just one event that I believe is the culprit.
Great post and thank you for sharing.
Julie
Melanie,
ReplyDeleteGreat post, sorry about your cold. What a good idea, to sit down with a cup of tea, that in itself is sort of relaxing. I like the statement you make about a true practice bleeding into other parts of your life and creating a sense of inner peace. If we could find one thing every day to feel good about then maybe the other stuff wouldn't seem so bad or we could deal with it better. It would be really nice to be able to relax and not have anything to think about.
Good post.
Colleen
Melanie,
ReplyDeleteI am glad to hear that you also liked and benefited from this practice. It makes me feel good all over and refreshed. The havoc that comes around is much easier to deal with when you can take time to deal with it in a healthy way. I have always carried around all of that in my head and kept it in the forefront of my day. To put it another way, I dwell on stuff... This practice helps me to clear it and not keep it. Especially the unnecessary stuff. I feel so much better. I am excited for us to be able to take this class and share our experiences.