Saturday, April 26, 2014

A Subtle Mind Practice (Unit 5)

     This week we are practicing another guided meditation from Dacher (2006) on the subtle mind.  This week's exercise is very similar to the mindfulness meditation that I practice regularly.  I thoroughly enjoyed this assignment and would certainly recommend the guided exercise to others.  Read on for a journal of my experiences...

Day 1 (Thursday):  My first impression is that I like this exercise exploring the subtle mind much better than last week's exercise on loving-kindness, as it seemed much more comfortable and almost effortless to me.  Throughout the activity I had quite a few thoughts drifting in and out and remained in a state of witnessing consciousness.  I think this was because I decided to practice in the middle of the afternoon when my mind was racing with the day's events and things that needed to be done yet, as opposed to first thing in the morning as I am accustomed to. 

Day 2 (Friday):  While I liked the provided recording from Dacher (2006) I still decided to try out another one that I found on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moBLrox7bwk).  I really enjoyed this guided meditation and its concept of nothingness...thinking "nothing", picturing "nothing", breathing "nothing".  I had very few thoughts throughout and would like to say I entered a state of calm-abiding consciousness.  I was very pleased with my exercise today!

Day 3 (Saturday): I apologize for not posting today, life got away from me and I forgot to practice my subtle mind activity.  In hindsight...days like these are when I likely need meditation the most.

Day 4 (Sunday):  The subtle mind exercise was very much welcomed after a long and hectic day at work.  While my mind was not free of thoughts by any means, I did feel this serene calmness wash over my throughout the entire session.  Afterwards I felt almost lightheaded which is a new experience for me.  I notice that after the subtle mind exercises I feel relaxed and refreshed, whereas I would feel frustrated and mentally exhausted after doing the loving-kindness exercises last week.

Day 5 (Monday):  Today I had another very enjoyable meditation experience.  I was again very relaxed during the practice and while my mind was not entirely silent, there was a noticeable stillness to both my mind and body.  Ironically, the majority of thoughts that drifted through my mind throughout the exercise were on the meditation itself...my posture, hand placement, breathing, and what I was going to journal!  

Dacher, E. (2006). Integral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, 
     CA: Basic Health Publications Inc.
Positive Magazine [publisher]. (2013, June 16). 10 minute guided meditation to help 
     clear the mind, focus thoughts and relax [YouTube Video]. Retrieved from   
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moBLrox7bwk

6 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed reading your experiences with this exercise. You were very thorough and I was rather pleased to see that you remained loyal and practiced as often as you could. I thought it was beneficial that you began this exercise by practicing it during the afternoon when your mind was more prone to racing thoughts, because by doing so, you could master a witnessing mind.

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    1. Nice to hear from you again Meghan! I do try to meditate often, but of course as you read in my post this doesn't always happen. That is something I would like to work on...making the time to devote even 15 minutes to myself no matter how busy my day is. I was only practicing in the afternoon cause my schedule had changed. I had not actually thought about it that way, here I thought it was more difficult for me but I can certainly see how that can facilitate development of skills like you mentioned. Thanks for the insight!!

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  2. I like the way you recorded your experiences throughout the week, seems like something you were really passionate about. I also found the exercise to be easy and carefree. This was the first audio I was able to relax and feel something. I found that when we were told to focus on our breathing and have a focal point that my mind didn’t wonder but as we were told to ease up my mind started wander and I had to keep refocusing on my breaths.

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    1. Hi Angela! I noticed the same thing when I would try to expand my awareness, but I just kept going back to focusing on my breathing. And that's ok!!

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  3. Hi! I like your blog a lot. I experienced a lot of things that you did with the exercises. I also like the subtle mind exercise more. I really used to dislike trying to meditate. I have been trying off and on for years. Usually after a few days I was over it and moving on. I have stuck with it for about two months now for about 15 minutes a day. I find it is making a big difference in my mind already. It is still a challenge but I enjoy it more everyday. It is nice to hear about your experiences with it. Thanks for your post!
    Alicia

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    1. Hi Alicia! It's so nice to talk with people who have similar experiences. I have tried various meditation, breathing exercises, etc. over the years but nothing really stuck with me either. Just prior to this course I began a new meditation routine and am still going strong! I really think that has a lot to do with our studies lately. I am so glad you are benefiting from your meditation routine as well.

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