After completing the subtle mind exercise I almost felt more frustrated than when I started! I have a hard time calming my mind and letting go of thoughts. The loving-kindness exercise was easy for me to focus and concentrate on because we were supposed to lock our mind onto a specific thought, but the subtle mind exercise wanted us to witness without grabbing onto thoughts. I am able to focus on my breathing and keep my mind clear, but once I start to relax my mind and stop focusing on each breath I start to grasp at different thoughts about my day and what I did do and what I need to do. The stillness would come and go a few seconds at a time and I never got past that part. I feel that if I tried to do this for 10 minutes everyday I could eventually train my mind to be quiet and still.
Spiritual, mental, and physical wellbeing are interconnected. You may be strong in one category but one cannot exist without the others. In my opinion, mental wellbeing comes first. If you can focus your mind and thoughts then you can focus other things in your life. Like our mental fitness reading, using your mind and exercising it regularly will increase its strength. Having a strong mind can help you achieve your physical goals. Physical wellbeing can be influenced by our mind and thoughts so healthy thoughts lead to healthy bodies. The spiritual wellbeing is also important for accepting that you are a part of a whole. It lets you see that something bigger than yourself does exist, and the more you nurture it, the healthier it becomes. A well balance mind, body, and spirit can lead to true happiness and wholeness.
hang in there Suzanne! What I have learned (not mastered by any means) is that the thoughts are going to come. Learning how to acknowledge them and then let them pass is the hardest part. I know how easy it is to grasp on to a thought and chase it down a rabbit hole... only to realize, I wasn't even sure how I ended up with the thoughts in the first place!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. I am totally frustrated and just can't visualize my mind working like it tells me I should. I can't see it and can't imagine it because I really don't know what it is supposed to look like. I am practicing though, I keep thinking they tell me it takes practice!
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