"Happiness Lies, First Of All, In Health." ~ George William Curtis

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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

UNIT 4



I have always believed that I could feel the flow of loving-kindness. I have felt it many times as I am thinking about others and wanting the best for them. Now I have learned that is a practice and I will benefit and become skilled in performing it often. I read in an article that the practicing of loving kindness helps to keep the mind open and sweet. Sometimes when people wrong you, it’s hard to maintain that sweet flow of forgiveness and love that is achieved with the flow of loving kindness.

(1) The CD was a wonderful experience. It helped me focus on an inner spiritual awareness that I have thought about often in the past. Today I will be writing down in my journey journal to practice, study and embrace the feeling "loving-kindness". The CD also gave me more clarity on understanding what lovingkindness is. It also helped me manage some negative feelings I am having in regards to a family member. I was concentrating on how to breathe which was helpful for me to sustain my focus. Lovingkindness is a gift from God, it is called the fruits of the spirit. It is very important that I cherish and use this gift toward others. I recommended this activity to my mother. This CD is a message that should be shared. I believe it will help others flourish in the flow of loving kindness.



(2) In order for us to achieve a level of depthness in our psychospiritual life we must practice the concept of "mental workout." This is similar to an athlete attaining an Olympian level of fitness, he has to perform and meet a physical level of fitness. A mental workout is striving to explore our inner world and evolve our psycho spiritual life. This contemplative practice tames the minds’ ceaseless mental activities that obscure higher states of awareness. Then through this mental training we gain access to the more subtle levels of the mind, witnessing, consciousness, the mental state of calm-abiding, and the pure awareness of a unity consciousness. Research studies and also personal reports have demonstrated that mental training can transform the mind by reducing disturbing emotions that causes anger, hatred, fear, worry, confusion and doubt. It enhances positive emotions such as patience, loving-kindness, openness, acceptance and happiness. This mental transformation, acting through the mind/body connection, provides enhanced resistance to mental distress and physical disease and overall promotes well being.

I believe I can implement mental works for fostering my psychological in order for me to achieve a level of psychological health is to start with the practice session on pg. 68 in (Dacher, 2006). I can begin this practice at least 15 minutes a day. I will do it in the mornings because It will help me start my day off clear of distractions and purposeful. I now have access to a wonderful CD by Dacher that is a phenomenal instructional guide that will mentor me until I am able to become independent.

“May your heart be happy and at peace!”

7 comments:

  1. I have a hard time forgiving people and it tends to ruin my relationships with them. I think by practicing loving kindness it can help me deal with my negative emotions as well.

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  2. Brenda, you are so so right. The concept of forgiving when one has done us wrong is easier said than done. However, it can be done. I am just glad that I now know how to find inner peace within myself especially through challenges with things as well as with people and it seems like you have done just the same. Good luck with everything in the future.

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  3. Hi Brenda,
    I liked your post, you put lots of thought in it. I do love people and I always put myself in their shoes and find explanaitions for thier behavior, yet
    I always reach a dangerous point that there will be no return from it, I cut people out of my life totally and completely because they do so many mistakes that I can not forget let alone forgive them. I am 32 years old and I find it very hard to change, the problem is I really get hurt from what people did and they may not think what they did is that big deal, but it devestate me, so I reach a point that I can not take it any more and without any explanation I just drop them out.
    I do not know if the loving-kindness will help with that, but I will definitely try it some more.
    Fatima

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  4. Brenda, you are absolutely correct in saying to forgive sometimes is harder to do than said. I try to never hold a grudge on anyone. I have always been the type that I try to help anyone that wants or needs to be helped. My mom has always taught us from the time we were little to never hold grudges because all it can do is cause you grief and sorrow. She also said that when someone was mean to me to always try to be as nice as I could to them and smile and the positive emotions will usually grow on them. This is where I first learned that positivity can be contagious just as well as negativity. I will have to take your advise on the early morning practice and then again maybe at lunch time due to finding quiet time for myself. You have made a great blog post! Keep up the wonderful work that you do!

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  5. I agree that lovngkindness should be shared with others. I intend to practice this exercise until it is easier to forgive others and let go of the suffering of loved ones. I found both of these parts of the exercise difficult. I am a worrier by nature. I worry about what others are suffering with and it sometimes consumes me. I find it difficult to let go of it and allow it to dissolve in my heart. I will continue working on this exercise to improve my mental fitness.
    Thanks for sharing,
    I really enjoy reading your blogs.
    Andrea

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  6. Dear Brenda,

    Hey there! First off, I just want to say I love your idea of putting a slideslow on your blog! How creative! I am new at this, so I did not even know you could do that!

    Anyway, I truly enjoyed reading your blog for our Unit 4 loving-kindness exercise. I am glad to see that you thought this exercise was as wonderful as I did. I too believe strongly that loving kindness is a gift from God. I too recommend this to my mom because she tends to think pessimisticly a lot, and stresses out about things that she does not need to worry about.

    Now that you have mentioned it, doing these exercises in the morning is the best time. I would love to implement these exercises in the morning of my daily routine after I do yoga. Yoga is very similar to the way it makes you feel deep inside like these exercises. Have you ever practiced yoga before?

    GREAT POST, & KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!

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  7. Very informative and insightful! All living beings deserve to be cherished because of the tremendous kindness they have shown us. All our temporary and ultimate happiness arises through their kindness. Even our body is the result of the kindness of others. We did not bring it with us from our previous life – it developed from the union of our father’s sperm and mother’s ovum. Once we had been conceived our mother kindly allowed us to stay in her womb, nourishing our body with her blood and warmth, putting up with great discomfort, and finally going through the painful ordeal of childbirth for our sake. We came into this world naked and empty-handed and were immediately given a home, food, clothes, and everything else we needed. While we were a helpless baby our mother protected us from danger, fed us, cleaned us, and loved us. Without her kindness we would not be her today. I enjoyed the CD and the mental workout meditations to enhance loving-kindbness into my life and inner being.

    LUV YA!

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