Saturday, August 24, 2013
This week's exercise was a brand new experience for me. We have done meditation exercises for this class in previous weeks, but this was the first one that I was able to relate to felt completely involved in. The other exercises were just that, exercises to gain experience and insight regarding what meditation was about. This loving-kindness exercise was much more then that. The emotions that I felt and the involvement with those emotions was almost overwhelming. The first portion of the exercise where we were to think of someone we loved and to open our hearts and allow those feelings to flow was amazing. I had no idea I could feel that deeply about anything. I had tears in my eyes. It was difficult to try to allow myself to feel that way about me, but I am working on it.
One of the other sections that had use receiving the pain of a loved one on our inhale breath and releasing love and kindness to them on the exhale breath was difficult. I had no problems with the receiving, but I had a hard time letting it go once I received it, so it was difficult to let the love and kindness out with the exhale. I have to learn to take things in, and not just give love and kindness out, but to release the pain that I have taken in with that breath. Again, something I will have to work on.
This exercise is one I can see myself repeating several times a day. It was invigorating and really put my perspective to where I think it should have been regarding what is really important in the outside world. Actually, the first few minutes did that for me.
A mental workout is exercising the brain. It is training it to gain control of ones self and to reach a deeper understanding of all things. Some proven benefits of exercising the brain are reducing negative emotions, such as fear and anger and increasing positive emotions, such as love and compassion. It can also help to improve attention and memory, among other functions of the mind. One of the biggest ways to help implement this is any ones daily life would be to meditate and involve ones self in exercises as mentioned above.
Julie C.
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Hey Julie,
ReplyDeleteI had a hard time letting go some things as well but once I did it felt that much better. I found it a bit overwhelming at first too, but it was a relaxing and calming feeling after the practice was done. I tried it a few more times during the week and each time brought more peace and calmness toward others and me. Keep up the practice it gets better and better!
I think the ability to "let go" is something many of us have a difficult time doing. Whether it is a comment someone makes, an action that scathed, or something we may have said that could have been misinterpreted and then we dwell on a course of action, I would assume letting go is quite a bit more difficult then taking things on or in. I think in a way it is ingrained in us from a young age; to be tough, not show emotion, have "broad" shoulders, not complain, we are taught to take things on and not complain, at least in my "world" this is truth.
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree that this exercise can assist in putting things into perspective. I did it in a time where I was bogged down with financial concerns and it served as a gentle reminder to what true wealth is and should be.
Peaceful wishes on your journey,
Christine M. Dixon
Hey Julie:
ReplyDeleteDo you think the exercises are helpful? It seems that each one involves a little more concentration than the last. It's like building blocks so that at the end you will experience the fullness of human flourishing. When I think about the monks that participated in the Lutz study, I know it took time for them to reach the state of loving kindness that they were in. They had spent over 10,000 hours of meditation on it. And I think the more of themselves that they put in it, the better they became at it. I think with effort, it will get easier.