As I was reading about the subtle mind in the Dasher book I realized =that I was taking action as I read and that my concentration was improving. It was an awesome feeling and I then went to the exercise and it really does help to clear the mind as we focus on some a central part of the room and pay attention to our breathing. However as I said before this has always been very hard for me to do is to clear my mind but I do think it is getting better and that I am improving in this area of focusing the mind and taking it to a soft and peaceful place of quietness. I am enjoyed this exercise and hope to be able to get into doing more even after we finish this course. I is amazing how we can actually control the mind and take it where we want to go to be able to improve our over all health within the mind and body.
Blessing to all
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
ReplyDeleteI find I have a hard time sitting still to do anything but school work. I am glad you are learning to stop thoughts and return to a focus. Have you noticed how long you can go before thoughts distract you away from the initial focus? Do you find yourself repeating the breathing, and then trying to answer some of the questions?
I really try and implement these exercises when traveling to and from work. I also take a few miniutes each day to walk outside of the business and allow myself to calm the mind via both exercises. I revert back to the loving kindness more frequently as it is easier to picture a loved one or stranger in breathing in their illness and breathing out peace, joy, and wellnes than breathing in the mind and how it interacts with our body, cells, tissue and organs. Somethings I can go as long as 10 minutes without distractions on one day, and the next day, it is like bombardment every one to two minutes. No worries according to Dacher, just keep practicing, and the calm mind with surface for longer periods of time.
Mark
Yes Mark it is hard to keep that focus. I probably are not doing as well as you are I hate to say I probably only can go for 2-5 minutes. However I have decided that as I am driving to work I listen to Christian music and this might be a mental exercise for me because I have found that I only focus on the words that I hear and it gives a sense of calmness. So I am not sure if this counts but I am thinking for me it does at this point and time in my life because I need to hear those words some times to set me up for the day ahead, they are words of reassurance that I am not alone it this and that I have a path prepared for me as my days moves forward.
DeleteThanks and God Bless You
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are ready to find some peace. I know how hectic your life has been. It seems to be that way for many people. I am not sure if you have been following the lottery this week, so far I hear that one person won more than a half a billion dollars. The reason I ask, is that there was such a frenzy over getting tickets around the U.S. everyone was looking for a ticket to change their lives. Wouldn't it be nice if everyone would look at calming their lives. Stress is a given in just about everyones life. Since the start of this class, I have really been marking out 15 minutes a day to practice some of the exercises we have learned about. I haven't really figured out why yet, but I really see myself as a bit calmer. I aggree with the professor as to using my ride to work practice my focus on peace instead of looking in others cars and becoming dismayed over the many other things they are doing in addition to driving a car. I find I get to work with a much better attitude.
I think it is working for both of us!
Peace
Deb
Hello Jackie,
ReplyDeleteI have had a hard time finding mental stillness too. Before this class, watching tv was my escape from mental clutter. The tools this class is providing are such a blessing aren't they? I too began to experience a stillness in my mind as I focused on my breathing. But I found this exercise much harder to do than the loving-kindness one. I reasoned it was because in the other our minds were allowed to roam, whereas in the subtle mind we were to remain focused on our breathing.
Another tool I learned recently was how speaking stills the mind. A pastor by the name of Creflo Dollar out of Atlanta, GA was explaining it in one of his aired sermons. He said when we choose to speak, our thoughts stop and the words we say create a picture in our mind. Try it. At random moments through the day, choose a word to say when you are feeling scatter-brained. You don't need to speak loudly, even a whisper will cause your mind to become still. I recommend choosing a word from your denomination of faith. I am a Christian, and so whisper "Jesus" to myself. An image of him appears in my mind and helps me regroup.
R/
Angela