The Loving-Kindness exercise was much easier compare to the
Subtle Mind. But it made me realize how
unfocused I am even when I seem to be paying close attention to my task or to
my homework. My hands might be busy, but
my mind and my thoughts are all over the place.
Until yesterday afternoon (Thursday) I had not given much credence to
quieting my thoughts. I was trying to do
my homework, but there seemed to be so much noise in the house that I just
couldn’t focus or even function for that matter. After 30 minutes of attempting to get
started, I got up, put on my sneakers and went for and went for a walk. For some time now I have been practicing
diaphragmatic breathing when I walk or exercise, so while I was walking I
focused on my breathing. Pretty soon the
noises quieted and I was able to focus.
I should have brought pencil and paper with me because I figured out
exactly what I wanted to write in this blog.
Although it will take some time and a lot more practice to get the
Subtle Mind exercise, I think this practice will really be a good one when
focus and too many random thoughts become a problem. I wondered as I am writing this if this practice might help those with ADD.
Mental health is defines as a state of well-being where the
individual realizes his own potential and can cope with everything life throws
at him and is still able to make a contribution to his community. Physical wellness is the ability to maintain the
healthy qualities in life that will get us through our daily activities without
a lot of fatigue and physical stress.
Spiritual wellness is the ability to find and establish peace and
harmony in our lives. I believe each of
these three areas of wellness contributes a third to your overall
well-being. If even one of these is off
kilter, then it throws the entire body out of harmony. Together they work to establish a sense of
overall health and well-being.
References: World
Health Organizaion, article, retrieved from the website on August 30, 2013 http://ww w.who.int/features/factfiles/mentalhealth/en/
University of
California Riverside Human Resources, article,The Seven Dimensions of Wellness, retrieved from the website on
8-30-2013, http://welness.ucr.edu/seven_dimensions.html
Debbie,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your idea of taking a walk and focusing on your breathing that way. I liked it enough to where I think I may give that a try. As much as I have enjoyed the past two exercises, there were moments during both of them where my daughter would distract me or the dogs would bark, the phone would ring, etc. It would be a great experiment for me if I tried the walking idea to see if it allowed me a clearer mind, and even more then that, it would give me more time and I would be getting a little exercise also. Thank you for sharing, and good luck!!
Julie
i believe in obtaining total wellbeing by combining my mind and body to function as one. when i meditate i feel impowered to just let all my thoughts go and relaxation comes into ply. I love physical exercise but never tried mental until last year when my hair started falling out. ive learned to channel my thoughts after a 6 month consistent period of time. practice makes perfect. Remember, use it or lose it
ReplyDeleteDebbie,
ReplyDeleteStaying focus has become a big concern of mine, I guess with so much going on in my life, I do find myself thinking about something that is important were I am strategizing on how I am going to attack or deal with the situation, before you know it my mind drift to something that have nothing to with what I was just thinking about. The sad thing is a few minutes late I am asking myself what is it that I was just thinking about. Until I started doing these exercises, I did not realize how my thoughts are all over the place; I will take your advice on practicing breathing.
Oh, I think I do not stop to think and take a mental break when my brain is running amok. Like you point out, my hands may be busy, or I may thing I am actually reading something but my eyes are simply passing over it without truly processing anything. Having a pen and paper with me when I do these would be a good idea. I do it at night for dream recording but never thought to have a way to record revelations when I am participating in these exercises this way I do not have to truly break my focus or concentration. I will have to try that out.
ReplyDeleteChristine M. Dixon