Universal loving kindness switches the focus from yourself to others around you. In this exercise you repeat a series of phrases to assist you in radiating loving-kindness to others.
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
This exercise is useful to me as I am a nurse, and work with individuals who are ill or suffering from chronic issues everyday. This exercise refocuses my energy on caring for them to the best of my ability.
The integral assessment exercise asks you to look into the four aspects of being and decide which areas need to grow, which areas are in need and so on. This week the biological aspect of my self is in need. I have an abscessed tooth that cannot be removed until the 10th of July. The discomfort from this tooth is disrupting my personal relationships as I am more irritable and I am unable to talk very well, limiting my conversation. It is also disrupting my work, as my focus is not 100% on my patients and their needs, but is split between the needs of myself and them. As for areas that are ready for growth and development I would choose the psychospiritual aspect. I am not a very spiritual person, but I work at a Catholic hospital, and religion and spirituality are important aspects of care. I need to open my heart and mind to the benefits of a spiritual relationship between my patients and a higher power and participate more in the act of prayer. By doing this I will not only expand my knowledge, but I will also be participating in a aspect of holistic care that is deemed important by my patients.
Setting small goals at first will help me to enhance my psychospiritual wellness.
I have a hard time with these exercises, but am seeing a little improvement. I am considering a different form of mind-body medicine. Maybe one that involves focusing on something other than a mantra. I like to move around and be active, so I am considering yoga. Maybe yoga can help train my mind to focus so that I can further my improvement on these types of meditation exercises.
ReplyDeleteHi Megan,
ReplyDeleteI think yoga would be a good idea. You could also try Tai Chi. These would be more suitable for you since sitting still poses difficulty. Good luck and I hope you find a relaxation technique that works for you.
What a great statement that you made I loved the little poem! Love and kindness are what makes the world come together even though there can be so much hatred between people, I feel the kindness and love have more people than the angry do. Great post!
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