Week 5 Blog

1. Compare and contrast the Loving Kindness exercise and the Subtle mind exercise. Explain your experience including the benefits, frustrations etc.

Comparison between the Loving Kindness and Subtle mind exercise:

Both were narrated by a man and the instruction was given by a woman.

Both had ocean sounds in the back ground during ‘relaxation’ time.

Both were a relaxation exercise to help ‘workout’ the mind.

Contrasts:

Loving Kindness focused on focusing on a love one that brings you love and reflect on how you feel.  Then you were instructed to focus on a love on that was suffering.  You are to ‘take in’ their suffering and ‘breath out’ love and kindness to them.  Finally you are asked to “take in” suffering of strangers and ‘breathe out’ love and kindness to them.

The Loving Kindness focused more assisting other people versus assisting yourself.

Subtle Mind focused on working your breath.  Using this exercise as daily practice will lead you down the path of human flourishing.  This exercise focused more on the individual vs. other people.  

Unfortunately my experience was the same with the Loving Kindness exercise as it was with The Subtle Mind practice.  I was unable to concentrate and thus did not receive the benefit of these exercises.  I prefer an exercise that does not have as much speaking.  I am unable to focus enough to visualize what the speaker is asking, i.e. colors coming from various parts of your body.  I am able to relax my body and mind with exercises that have soft music or nature sounds along with some speaking.  I like more quiet in order to relax.

2. Discuss the connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness. Explain how the connection is manifested in your personal life.

There is a connection of the spiritual wellness to mental and physical wellness.  When you are able to train your mind thru ‘mental workouts’ you will start to see the benefits of these exercises.  A well spiritual mind will allow you to have a healthy mental and physical body.  Your spirit is directly connected to your mind and body.  When you have an unhealthy spiritual wellness, your mind and body will also be unhealthy.  It is imperative to gain a sense of balance between the spirit, mind, and body to have overall health and wellness in your life.

I see the connection in my own personal life.  My first marriage was an unhealthy relationship.  The unhealthy relationship had an overall effect on my physical, mental, and spiritual health.  I felt that I had not hope and fell into a bout of depression.  I contribute my poor mental health directly from the events that took place in my unhealthy relationship.

When I exercise and take time out for myself, not only do I feel better physically but I am also mentally healthy.  I feel that all three aspects of my mind, body, and spirit come together.  When I am mentally healthy it pours over into my daily life and into my relationships.

I have also seen the reverse happen.  My friend is basically miserable in all aspects of her life.  She is mentally burnt out because of her job, her husband’s job, financial situation, her daughter misbehaving, etc.  She is physically in poor health.  She has to be close to 100lbs overweight and her weight bothers her.  I tried talking to her and she is just negative Nelly.  She will not be able to lead a healthy life and fix the issues with her daughter until she works on healing her ‘insides’ first.

Resources:

Dacher, E. (2005). Integral Health The Path to Human Flourishing

     Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications