Unit 4 Blog
The loving kindness exercise was different. It was very different to me. It was joyful, touching, and emotional. I felt the love and kindness I have when I thought about the people I care about in my life. It really touched me. I could feel the warmness surrounding me. It was a relaxing, calming, and pleasant feeling. When I started to think about my love ones hurting and suffering it made me think and made me sad. It was a good idea to take in the suffering of your loved ones on the in-breath, and on your out-breath send out health and joy. I thought overall it was a good exercise and I learned from it.
In my opinion, "mental workout" suggests exercising our mind or working our brain to be healthier. According to Dacher (2006) "mental workout" means utilizing contemplative practices to help tame the mind's constant mental activities and train it along with opening one's heart, expanding consciousness, and progressing towards psychospiritual flourishing. The goal is for progressive development of an expanded consciousness and healing within the mind, body, and spirit. I encourage my clients as I am a personal trainer to get a physical workout of course but also a mental one as well. It is great to give the mind a workout and make it think.
Brittney,
ReplyDeleteI too really enjoyed that part of the meditation. I have some friends who are having difficult times and if I could help them by doing this, I was game.
My hardest part was turning the feelings of love towards myself. I think too often most women know how to love and want love but the hardest thing for us is to love ourselves unconditionally.
As we continue to do these practices, will you encourage your clients to try them?
Megan
I do have a hard time with loving myself and I have found myself, after doing this exercise a few times, that I am learning to know what it is like to love myself. I some times feel like I am dead inside or not not normal, because I only feel love for my daughter and no one else. Maybe it is because of the negativity I have dealt with my whole life.
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