The first of my two choices for most beneficial practices is the Loving-Kindness practice. It has been very beneficial to me to practice loving kindness. I live a very stressed life....third shift job at night, homeschooling eight year old identical twins during the day, a husband who barely gets home everyday in time for me to leave for work. It is very stressful and it makes me feel like a victim who is doing more than everyone else.
In the midst of this mindless stress, I was too quick to anger. The loving kindness practice has helped me to understand that it is stressful for everyone and it gives me more power over my reactions. I am not so quick to anger at a husband who falls asleep at the end of a long day when all I want is for him to stay awake for another half hour before I have to leave for work. My mind has shifted to realizing that he needs this sleep to heal and prepare for another day. I don't feel so desperate to talk his ear off about everything that happened during my day. I just look forward to the weekend.
The Subtle Mind practice would have to be my second choice. I have very physical reactions to stressful thoughts and a stomach ache piled on top of a problem that needs to be solved is not helpful. You don't think you are "doing it right" during meditation but you do realize after a week of doing it that your mind has learned how to notice thoughts rather than physically react to them.
I plan on continuing with these practices daily to continue to improve on my mental health. One thing I would like to do is rearrange my room so it is a more peaceful space. I have way too many things and it creates physical clutter in my home and mental clutter in my mind. I will also continue to use these practices at my work. I get a bit worked up when I am away from home every night and I feel trapped when I am at my place of work. Using the Subtle Mind practice is especially helpful when I feel trapped at work.
Dorothy,
ReplyDeleteI must say...you have some sort of superwoman gene somewhere in there because...wow!!! That's all I can say. It's good that these exercises are useful for you because it will also leak to your husband and children as they notice how you react to different stressful situations can help them to adopt the same practices. Cool post!
I also chose the Loving Kindness and Subtle mind exercises to help me in my life. I am also the mother of twins and know all to well how busy the days are with them. I have notice a change in not only myself but the people who are closest to me because I am becoming a calmer person. The loving kindness exercise I use for my own benefit in I have a lot of areas I my life I need forgiveness.
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