~The Subtle Mind~

Greetings everyone!

            Well, I must say, this was, yet again, a very unique and inspiring experience! For this week I was to complete The Subtle Mind relaxation exercise, and then to compare and contrast it to that of last week’s exercise: Loving-kindness. I remember last week I thought the Loving-kindness exercise was long, however. This week’s exercise, The Subtle Mind, was longer, but it didn’t really feel that way.

            I would have to say that I found lasts week’s more relaxing, but this week’s exercise more beneficial. Maybe it’s the difference in exercises or techniques, or maybe it’s also partially to do advancements that I am making in my psychological and spiritual growth. The Subtle Mind felt like it took a lot more work and force to keep my mind free of thoughts or distractions because there was significantly more quiet time in this one versus the exercise we completed last week. However, I am always learning though, and I find it enormously interesting how much the breath is connected to the mind! I find that it is easier for me to minimize the distractions when I’m taking deeper longer breaths versus shorter ones.

            I did find a great deal of peace when my thoughts and distractions where limited and my mind was able to take a break, but what surprised me was every time I reached a place where my mind was free and where there were no distractions or thoughts, it was as though I was startled and I would even flinch. My interpretation of this was that my mind was going through a series of shock because it’s so used to processing a hundred different things at once, that I feel there was a slight “shock factor” when I would ease my mind of the stress and work. This is something that I did not experience with last week’s exercise, but we were also being instructed on what to be thinking about, so the mind was able to continue in somewhat the same fashion that it usually does.

            Relaxation exercises greatly enhance your psychological and spiritual growth, but that is only a small portion of the benefits. The mind-body-spirit is, how I like to think of it, is like a triangular model with inner wires that are all connected. Each of three major elements is, in hundreds of ways, connected to the other. Therefore, when one area is being enriched, the other two will benefit as well. This goes for negative regression as well; if one area is destructively affected, the other two elements will feel the impact too.

            In my life, I find the greatest peace, joy, happiness, and wholeness when my psychological, spiritual, and physical elements are at a healthy state.  By working on these aspects of our lives we can immediately see improvements in our lives. Not only do we become more positive and life seams a thousand times better, but we also start to see how it affects those around us; we are more loving, patient, accepting and kind. Start building a better you!

~Anna