The subtle mind and loving kindness exercises are quite contrasting in the technique but comparable in their goals. The techniques used in both practices were different in the fact that loving kindness wanted you to focus on others and subtle mind wanted you to focus on breathing. Loving kindness made your compassion for others and yourself grow, while subtle mind made you focus on calm and stillness of the mind. Either way both exercises expand your mind-body health to higher but different levels. They are both mental workouts.
Spiritual and mental and physical wellness are closely associated with one another. Having a good spiritual wellness, let one realize that there is more to their life than their own being. It helps you expand your mind and let go of your troubles and I would say deal with stress more healthfully. Stress is caused by unforseen obstacles, when you don't blow these obstacles out proportions your physical and mental wellbeing are not harmed. Your physical and mental wellbeing are important in utilizing mental workouts and using physical workouts to calm your mind. These are all intertwined and dependant on one another.
Kayla,
ReplyDeleteGood post. You are correct the two are quite different in some ways but have the same benefits in the end. That is working toward integral health. Did you like one of them better than the other? How do you use the spiritual, mental, and physical wellness in your own life?
For me I like both of the exercises but I practice the subtle mind exercise several times throughout the day. This one is more natural for me. I really have to work at the loving kindness one.
I didn't think about the contrasts in the two exerices like you did. You are right though. Maybe the loving kindness exercise is meant to come first to enable us to put others first in our minds, and then focus on ourselves. This gets some of the selfishness out I know for myself I found the subtle mind exercise easier to stay on track with. I guess its easier to focus on ourselves than do all that projecting.
ReplyDeleteTotally see why the loving kindness exercise should be done first. It did calm me more than I was used to. Both the exercises did yield the same results. I did enjoy the loving kindness over the subtle mind because I am unable to stay still for too long of a period of a time. Overall, I really do not have these fifteen minute increments to sit and be idle, especially being in a middle of a huge move and building of a couple of businesses, as well attending school and raising two teenage daughters, but I am willing to try to become a better person.
ReplyDeleteYours in health,
Andrea
Great points. I think the difference in focus was interesting. I also thought it was neat that the end result of thinking of others or yourself end up with a similar effect.
ReplyDeleteIt helped me understand that the connection between us and ourselves are connected. This is part of Unity consciousness and an important lesson learned.