My Experience
with the Loving-Kindness practice
I
found the Loving-Kindness practice very calming and relaxing. I really enjoyed it. The background noise of crashing waves reminded
me of when I was laying on the beach in Maui and on the beach off Lake
Michigan. It allowed me to open my heart
to others and to prime my mind for further development.
What
is the concept of “mental workout”?
The
concept of mental workout is exercising specific areas of the mind where we
explore our inner world and evolve our psychospiritual life.
According
to Dacher (2009), research indicates that proven benefits of a mental workout
are reducing negatives emotions (anger, fear, hatred, worry, confusion and
doubt) while enhancing positive emotions (patience, loving-kindness, openness, acceptance,
and happiness). Greater resistance to mental
stress and physical disease are part of this mental transformation along with
expanded healing abilities and promoted well-being.
I can
implement mental workouts into my daily life, such as the Loving-Kindness
practice, to foster my psychological health by making the time to do it. It would be a good idea to start out by doing
this practice every morning and every night for the first week.
References
Dacher,
E. (2006). Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA:
Basic Health Publications, Inc.
Hello Danielle. I really enjoyed the peaceful sounds of the waves and distant music included in this exercise as well. I have found it particularly beneficial to listen to natural sounds while relaxing in the evening. I am able to relax and picture myself in a beautiful place. How was your emotional experience through the exercise? I found mine to be very deep. I agree that making the time to partake in these exercises is the best way to get started. If we take the time to add these types of relaxation techniques into our daily lives, we are taking the time to exercise those aspects that help guide us along in our journey for total wholeness. I think that you have the right plan for getting started with implementing the techniques into your life. Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteCindy Allen
Hi Danielle,
ReplyDeleteThis exercise was a really a nice experience. It reminds me of when I was back home in the Island of Jamaica and sitting by the sea side. Yes, I agree with Dacher, that mental workout reduces negative emotions. You did a great job in this post.
Althenia
Hi Danielle-
ReplyDeleteI love the concept of this exercise and the way that it was setup with the sounds of the waves in the background. The experience overall allowed for the person participating in the exercise to open their mind to all the people around them family, friends and even enemies and encouraged the user to accept those people into their lives regardless of their position. This exercise encouraged the user to be conscious of all the feelings that surround them every day. I love your description of the exercise. I personally wish I could practice this technique twice a day. This would allow me to have a more open mind before I enter a chaotic work place. Although I ‘meditate’ before I walk into my job. I sit in my car and just breathe for the first five to ten minutes before I walk through the door. I have noticed a difference in the way that I deal with the chaos. On days when I am pressed for time I will not take those extra few minutes before I walk through the door and tend to get overwhelmed a little easier throughout the day. In my opinion meditation works wonders for any and everyone who attempts to practice it.