This was a very short activity that only lasted about 10-12 minutes. Once I was seated in a comfortable position I spent a couple of minutes focusing on my breathing and preparing for the exercise. Then as instructed by Dacher (2006) I mentally repeated the following phrases for the remaining ten minutes:
"May all individuals gain freedom from suffering.
May all individuals find sustained health, happiness and wholeness.
May I assist all individuals in gaining freedom from suffering.
May I assist all individuals in finding health, happiness and wholeness."
-Dacher (2006)
I was surprised how much I enjoyed this exercise considering my experiences with the first loving-kindness activity we did in unit 4. I think this might have been because the given phrases gave me something to focus on as opposed to conjuring up visualizations as in the previous activity. Throughout the practice and afterwards I felt energized, optimistic, and inspired. These feelings were strongest when I would say the words "may I assist". This activity was very motivating! At the time I performed this exercise I was not feeling any negative emotions, such as anger or hatred, but I can see how this practice would be effective in changing my attitude if I had been.
Dacher, E. (2006).
Integral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach,
CA: Basic Health Publications Inc.
My favorite line was also the last "may I assist." I thrive on trying to motivate people to be the best all around person they can be. I too found this exercise to be a little easier than the previous exercises and I think it was because I already had something to think about. I did, however, have to get started by getting my husband to help me remember the lines, but once I got going I was good!
ReplyDeleteI had some difficulty memorizing the lines at first as well. I actually started out with my eyes open and reading the lines out of the book. As they became easier I put the book down and closed my eyes. Although I'm a fast talker..and apparently thinker too cause I kept getting "tongue tied" which just made me want to laugh!
DeleteMegan, I enjoyed reading about your experience with this exercise, as I felt the same way you did while practicing it. Focusing in on my breathing seemed to help out significantly, and I managed to find a relaxing video on the internet that helped to promote a calming thought process. I did experience some difficulty memorizing the lines, and I feel as though recording oneself saying these phrases could help with that process. I really enjoyed this exercise, as it was precise and to the point and allowed for some personal freedom.
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