Loving kindness and the subtle mind can both be practiced anywhere. They are both done to provide peace and calmness to the mind and body. I found the loving kindness exercise to be easier to do than the subtle mind exercise. I tried to do the subtle exercise at night and I could not relax and clear my mind. My night time ritual is chaos, from chasing kids to the bath, dinner, homework, and I usually do a late night running session so I am wound up. I think I will try it again in the morning when everyone is asleep. The spiritual wellness is what brings us awareness to our inner well being, once we have reached the state of calmness then you can move on to mental wellness. Mental wellness is being confident to control your emotions and focus. Once that is reached you can reach physical wellness which includes a healthy mind, body, and spirit. I know at some point I use these in my daily activity but my mental wellness I am still working on improving.
Thanks,
Kisha
Hi Kisha,
ReplyDeleteI actually liked the subtle mind exercise better. The love and kindness exercise stirred up some feelings of sadness. But subtle mind was great. I was able to plug my headphones into the netbook and as everyone was closing their eyes for the night I took that time for me and relaxed as I did the assignment. Maybe a good pair of headphones will be the trick for you to, Thanks
Kisha,
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Erica that I found the Subtle Mind exercise to be better for myself. I think that it was easier to relax and feel calm than with the Loving-Kindness exercise. I definitely think that not everything works for everyone, so whatever makes you relax and be able to focus your mind is great and you should use it. I think with the Subtle Mind exercise that it is best to do when you can be in a quiet place and not be interrupted. I agree with you that mental wellness is being able to control your emotions. By being mentally fit you are able to control your emotions in any situation which can also help you to see the positives instead of the negatives and help to reduce stress in your life.
Hey Kisha,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you I found the Loving-Kindness exercise much easier. That is a good idea though to practice in the morning when you feel like you have more peace around you. Once you get better at it then while you're chasing around little ones you could be calm in your mind! I never really thought how hard it could be to clear the mind; but it seems like for both of us it will take some work. I wish you luck and hopefully can keep at it!
Ulani
Kisha,
ReplyDeleteHere's what I do to help relax and connect, this is different than the subtle mind exercise but not everything works for everyone, after all there is no one size fits all. So try this after the kids are in bed asleep and you are ready for bed sit or lay in bed just be comfortable and physically relaxed, close your eyes and listen to the house around you identify every sound you hear then slowly let go of those sounds and listen to your self, the heart beat and breathing.
I, too, had difficulty with this exercise. I have so many things going on right now, I cannot seem to concentrate. I will continue to try because it is quite obvious that I need it! Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteCarol
Hi Kisha,
ReplyDeleteYour blog post made me laugh! Your night time routine is chaos...I so remember those days, you must have little ones! Enjoy them, it goes so quick and they will be gone before you know it! I liked both of the exercises but I agree with you I think the Loving kindness exercise was easier for me personally as well. I love your statement about mental wellness that it is about being confident to control your emotions and focus, how very true that is in the health industry for certain! I'm impressed with the late night running! I would never fall asleep if I did that! lol I run at 5:30 a.m. this old chick can't do it late at night! Great post!
Hello Kisha,
ReplyDeleteI can feel where you come from with evening rituals because mine too is chaotic with family and chores. Trying to find the time to do much of anything in the evening is a really big challenge for me and I have had to distance myself from my family and take time out for myself regardless of what is going on. It use to be I would get frustrated and sarcastic towards anyone who came into contact with me and it was because my inner self would be jammed from the days activities that I didn't get a breather before the children got back from school. I also have to agree with the loving kindness being the easiest to deal with and it too made me feel like I was in control of what went on around me and keep things positive. I believe that everyone would find life easy if they just focus on what is in front of them instead of everything around them or behind them.
Jennifer Cosgrove