Unit 8....Review

This week’s assignment was to review the exercises and practice sessions we have completed throughout the past 7 weeks (Loving Kindness, Subtle mind, Visualization, meditation etc.). We are supposed to choose two practices that we have determined to be most beneficial. I chose Loving-Kindness and Meeting Aesclepius (visualization).

I really enjoy the guided mediations. I find them very beneficial because it makes me really concentrate and focus on what the guide is saying. This technique allows my mind to really focus on the exercise and limits my mind from wandering. I also feel very relaxed during the exercises and re-energized at the conclusion.

The Loving-Kindness exercise is intended to assist us in opening our hearts to others and help us gradually reduce our own self-centeredness and preparing our minds for further development. As we reduce focus on ourselves and our own needs, an enhanced concern and compassion for the welfare of others will begin to grow. I enjoyed this exercise. I was completely calm and relaxed. I could visualize myself at the ocean experiencing loving-kindness feelings. I also felt the release of the unpleasant, disturbing feelings and emotions I have bottled up inside. At a certain point, I felt a little emotionally overwhelmed. However, I believe the exercise was beneficial because I was able to release some negative feelings and emotions.

The visualization meditation exercise (Meeting Aesclepius) helped me access my inner healer. The inner healer which exists within each of us and helps guide us toward the integral process. I found this exercise very rewarding. It was a guided meditation, very soothing, with the sound of the ocean waves in the background. We were told to close our eyes and visualize the image of a very wise and loving man or woman. We were supposed to concentrate on the image to help relax and move us toward our subtle mind. With eyes closed, I could visualize a light coming from my image towards me. Throughout the exercise I felt a great sense of calmness, happiness, inner healing and peace. I felt my heart really open up. It was very uplifting and inspirational. I felt a sense of inner freedom. The meditation practice was definitely more than just a relaxation exercise.

These exercises can be implemented into my personal life to promote mental fitness at anytime I feel the need. I can shut the world out by taking time to meditate and rejuvenate. There is no time limit or time frame to meditate. I’ve mentioned this before “meditation is like having small doses of health and wellness injected into my body, mind and spirit.” I truly believe it!

My definitin of meditate:

M = Mind
E = Emotional well-being
D = De-stress
I = Integral Health
T = Therapeutic
A = Anew
T = Tranquility
E = Energy

Thanks for reading!