The love and kindness breath is directed at healing your body on the ins and outs of breathing along with the subtle mind exercises. The difference is that if we feel hostility toward someone or need to heal from a relationship, love and kindness is the exercise. The subtle mind is geared at what the title states calming or relaxing the mind. I think that the subtle mind is almost easier to stay connected by just focusing on the breathing. The love and kindness almost made me think that and wonder if I was resenting someone close. It made me stress out more than relax. Unless maybe if I did have someone I was suffering from.
Being relaxed and rejuvenated from the subtle mind exercise can create the discipline that is needed for the continuous exercise plan in order to remain physical active. The mind, body, and soul are connected as one. If my spiritual wellness is not happy then I am probably not going to want to exercise as well. I know a time this summer when my mind was so distracted by a someone close that when I did exercise I ran so hard and so much farther that I drain myself completely. The next day my body acted as though it was sick because it was so mentally and physically exhausted.
I agree with you about these exercises, I also think that we can take pieces of them and alter, change, or combine them to find something that is comfortable for us. I don't think anything, such as these exercises, is one size fits all I think it is more of a way to find what works for us.
ReplyDeleteThe health of each piece of our being is the ultimate goal, we all know without one the other suffers. As you point out a healthy mind and spirit help us stick to a physical exercise routine and vice versa.
Good reflection!!
I enjoyed reading your thoughts about the exercises! I believe that you are right in the fact that the loving-kindness exercise is geared more towards learning to visualize love and being kind to those we love and to those we do not even know, while the subtle mind exercise is really geared towards finding that stillness and being able to stay focused on it, rather than letting the mental chatter burst in and try to control our thoughts again.
ReplyDeleteI believe incorporating these exercises into an everyday cycle will help us to learn a great deal about ourselves, find that calmness we all need, and learn how to cultivate it as well! :)
When I practice the loving kindness exercise, I tend to focus my concentration on the mental/emotional suffering of my loved ones, not necessarily physical suffering. Too often we see those we love in pain and struggling to find peace. I found the Loving Kindness exercise gave me a way to somehow help others. In fact when I was doing the exercise and focusing in on my husband whom was sleeping next to me, I had a profound sensation within my spirit. In all honesty we have been getting alone better since. Thought the Loving Kindness exercise, I think not only do we help others, but we help ourselves too. When practicing the Subtle exercise I believe at first it aids at bettering oneself and after some time and evolving, others.
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