Loving Kindness and Visualization Practice
The two
practices I feel are most beneficial to me are loving kindness and visualization. For me these two go hand-in-hand. In the visualization exercise, I thought
about events that brought me great joy and happiness. I experienced some of that joy on my vacation
in North Carolina. Being so close to
some the things I so enjoy brought about a feeling not only of vitality but of
accomplishment and wholeness. Being near
the ocean taught me to appreciate this great world, and the people in it. While I was there, I sent post cards to
family and friends and I signed each one with “wish you were here!” What I probably meant was “wish you could feel
what I’m feeling.”
Now when I
so the loving kindness practice, I incorporate elements of the visualization exercise
into it. Not only do I wish for health
and well-being for the person I am focusing on, I am wishing them the joy and
happiness I felt during that vacation at the beach.
I chose
these two practices because one is for my own health and well-being and the
other is for someone else’s integral health.
Implementing these two practices in my personal life can foster “mental
fitness” because it assures me that while I will always want integral health
for myself, I should never become careless or selfish in that wish. I should think of others. This will help me in my future endeavors
since I will be dealing on a day-to-day basis with people other than my own
family. If I am not able to sincerely practice
the loving-kindness exercise, then I how can be effective in advising and
counseling clients about their nutritional health.
Reference: Dacher,
Elliott; Integral Health: The Path to Human Flourishing, 2006;
Basic Health Publications, Inc.; Laguna Beach, California
Debbie,
ReplyDeleteI loved your post!!....and your stories about North Carolina. I have never been there but I have seen pictures and they are beautiful!!...I have often thought about moving close to the ocean but the fear of Hurricane's have stopped me. Plus, I was born with a fear of the ocean, I can not explain why this fear is there, nothing bad has ever happened but none the less I cannot go in past my ankles. I am so jealous of your apparent love of the ocean. I am so grateful for the exercises presented in this class. I feel of all the classes I have took, this one has touched my heart the deepest. I have noticed a change in the way I deal with stress, and the way I look at others. I hope when this class is finished, I will continue to practice what I have learned. Good luck to you in your future endeavors.
Warmest Wishes,
Jill Gazelle
Debbie,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post... Reading your post reminded me of a trip that a group of friends and I took earlier this year to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. At first I was not too sure about the trip, however, when I got to the cabin up in the mountain it was an amazing site especially the morning fog. I do agree with you it does make you appreciate the beauty the world has to offer.
Debbie,
ReplyDeleteI guess these two do go hand in hand. Loving Kindness is a practice a little more difficult for me however visualization I did find as an easier approach, I like that I can implement images of nature and landscapes. When I think of people my mind tends to wander. I def need practice! Good post!
Maria