Loving Kindness

I was anxious to perform Dacher's exercise to gaining loving-kindness in my life. I waited for a time that my children were gone and I could quiet my mind, I turned the fire place on and got comfortable on the floor with my favorite blanket. As physically prepared as I was to calm my mind and let in thoughts of loving-kindness I found my mind often wandered. It wandered to the wind blowing outside, to what I was going to make for supper, and then at times I could actually let the feelings of my loved one in. Toward the end of the exercise when we're asked to concentrate on our breath and take the suffering away from loved ones, I found it was easier to stay focused on the exercise and was able to stay focused through the rest. I'm questioning if this is due to the fact I'm concentrating on my breath that helps me stay focused, or if it is because I've always been able to accept and help others find loving-kindness instead of allowing it in my own life. I found the exercise relaxing.....I opened my eyes and was ready to greet my children at the door feeling refreshed and anxious to hear about their day. I am definitely going to do this activity twice a day as it suggests and hope that I am able to clear my mind more quickly and allow loving-kindness to affect me as I always try to give to others. It is important to me to leave everyone feeling like I tried to bring something positive to their day; even if it's with only a smile :) This exercise could benefit anyone willing and wanting to reach for integral health. I do believe that it will only be beneficial if they're willing to open their minds to it and be willing to make positive changes.

Dr. Dacher's loving-kindness exercise is definitely an example of a mental workout. It forces us to control our thoughts and train our minds. Just like becoming fit takes discipline to exercise and eat right, so will finding integral health. Throughout our reading it reminds us that through all the steps that human flourishing is possible, but it is a choice. Training our mind and giving it a mental workout to choose to feel and give loving-kindness is work for most of us. Stress, ill health, and negative factors outside of our control have consequences on how we view the world and feel about ourselves. It is the mental workout of choosing to accept with a calm mind and loving-kindness that bring us closer to integral health. Research shows that by training our minds it create certain pathways in our brain that will allow us to think in a certain manner and sort out the "noise" of life for more peace and happiness over all. Choices that we have made, people that we have nurtured, and a loving-kindness that we have focused inward will allow a certain contentment to carry us through the negative things in life. It allows us an inner quality to accept the things we cannot change and change the things we can....and then move on. One thing I am anxious to train my mind for is just that; knowing myself well enough to ignore the "haters" in the world and embrace the people willing to give me their loving-kindness and allow myself to accept it and learn from its wonderful feeling. My mental workout will include making choices to participate in the meditation exercises included with our text, and making conscious choices to make decisions that flourish my integral health by remembering to do for others, react with a clear mind and purposeful speech, and appreciate every human being for their contribution.

I hope everyone has an excellent week....living, loving and learning!