Practice One.
The reason that The Subtle Mind practice is used firstly for the purpose of taming and quieting the very human reactive and grasping mental energy is why I find it to be most constructive. Dacher explains that quieting an unruly mind is the first step in the direction of integral health and healing. Training the mind to be more of a witness to our thoughts rather than needing to do something about every thought that comes through cannot be any more necessary to all the rest of our efforts. Secondly, the Subtle Mind exercise is for fine tuning mental activity so as to be capable of keeping one’s attention in a single place for a specific period of time. The result of practice over time is the ability to tap into the mind’s resources and all of its attributes. The ability to have intention requires attention and the Subtle Mind practice addresses this important issue.
Practice Two.
Visualization: Meeting Asclepius/The Healer. This I find to be a very engaging, personal exercise. It is powerful like the Loving-Kindness meditation but used to bring confidence, comfort and assurance to yourself during a sitting. The idea of visualizing a very wise, compassionate person whose presence can be felt is ideal for bringing oneself to a confident yet peaceful state. To be asked to take freely of their informed thoughts, loving heart and right speech is a beautiful and bolstering experience. I find this is the exercise I have committed to memory quickly and use it in whole or in part often.
Achieving Mental Fitness.
Through contemplative (reflective) practices such as the Subtle Mind meditation and visualization exercises such as Meeting Asclepius/The Healer, one makes the decision to develop themselves from the inside so as to improve and reach their full potential externally – in their personal and professional lives. Dacher’s definition of mental fitness includes clearly understanding what you are undertaking, what you are actually ‘doing’ when doing it and what you ought not be doing. Similarly, he adds that it will do no good to be unable to go beyond closing one’s eyes and relaxing – this will bring only temporary comfort.
The aim of contemplative practice, of achieving mental stability or fitness, is to cultivate a gradually improved expansion of consciousness (awareness) as well as the healing it can provide.
Placing these activities into my personal life takes a commitment of time which most people will admit, is very difficult to do. Overcoming the pitfalls of running out of time requires a commitment to time management – and I’ve been giving time management a great deal of thought. I have considered how I can make very poor use of time as compared to the instances I am aware of using my time well, being very productive. This goes along way with me – being productive – and often results in my becoming even more productive the following day. It, unfortunately works that way with wasting time – the more time I waste, the more time I waste. It can be as habit forming as productivity.
Working with clients professionally, I thought that a decision to include an introduction to contemplative practice to my clients would boost my own personal intention to remain a student. By teaching a certain exercise to a client based on what I perceive as that they’d be most receptive too, I work with improving my intuition as well. For example, some women would be very responsive to the Loving-Kindness exercise drawn as they may be to the protective and prayerful nature of that exercise. Another client may be more inclined towards the Meeting Asclepius/The Healer, perhaps someone who is going through a difficult time of loss or illness. Using contemplative practice in my “practice” is a good way of strengthening my commitment to furthering my own personal journey and areas of study.
Wishing everyone great progress as you need it. Kathleen
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