v Both the Loving-Kindness and the Subtle mind exercises were about the same to me. I liked them fairly well. Both got me to think about the way I think of everything. I felt a sense of discomfort with both; in the Loving-Kindness exercise I did not care for thinking of suffering while I was relaxed, and in the Subtle mind exercise I felt like I could not relax.
v The techniques are very different though. Loving-Kindness gave me something to think of, which is easier for me. During Subtle mind I felt like my mind wandered more, and as I have stated before it is hard for me to quite my mind.
v I find I am better at the witnessing mind technique once I am relaxed, usually after doing a guided meditation. I feel I get frustrated when I start off trying to quiet my mind and this frustration kind of ruins the whole purpose of the exercise.
I have been keeping up with doing daily meditations and I feel much more relaxed than ever before. I do feel like I can choose how to react in situations, whereas before my reactions were automatic. I have given up watching TV in the last few weeks. I’m not really sure if there is a correlation between my meditation and TV watching, but I seem to think so.
I agree with you, the loving kindness exercise seems in some ways easier. I liked that I had direction. Perhaps because I am so new to training my mind. Kudos to you for watching less TV. I find myself watching way too much. I try and have a book to read, something fun and easy. Of course during school it seems like all I'm reading is text books.
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for a really interesting blogging. You truly made me rethink my own experience and preferences. I thought I liked the subtle mind better overall than the loving kindness exercise, but looking at your perspective makes me think, perhaps not.
ReplyDeleteI found the subtle mind easier than loving kindness because I had such a difficult time with the portion regarding bringing in someone's pain, dissolving it and pushing out the cleansing, healing, warm thoughts. I really struggled with it. Now though, after reading through your blog, I am reminded that I really do like the guided meditation. In a previous class I took I had a practice that guided us through a forest, to a clearing where there was a flat rock overlooking a lake. I still can take myself through that exercise on my own and do when I feel myself just needing to calm a bit. You are right, that it is much harder to get the mind to just clear without focusing on a guided tour.
Thanks, for the insight. It really helps me to put things in order. I was questioning the usefulness of these blogs, but now I kinda get it, you can teach an old dog new tricks! Sandy
I agree with you. My mind was very restless during the subtle mind practice. I was thinking about everything else but the exercise and trying to still my mind. I do not do well with these types of exercise like focusing. I tend to relax more while I am doing cardio exercise which is strange but it helps me.
ReplyDeleteHi Ronnacheri:
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the Loving Kindness exercise giving you something to occupy your mind where the subtle mind exercise almost does the opposite. I have trouble quieting my mind, too, and sometimes the more you try, the harder it gets. For me, the trick with the subtle mind practice is to just let it come and go, almost like your thought processes are a river that's flowing. Instead of moving with the current, your attention is in a boat anchored in place.