I
found concept of the loving
kindness exercise to be pretty interesting. My mind
wandered a bit the first time I completed the exercise. The second time though, I was able to push aside
thoughts that tried to sneak into my mind.
A yoga instructor once told us to pick the unwanted thoughts out of our
winds, push them aside, and let them flow away down the imaginary river as we
imaging ourselves just floating in place.
This technique is very relaxing and has worked well for me, especially
with negative or stressful thoughts. In
regards to pleasant memories that sneak into my thoughts, making me smile but
interfering with my meditation, I try to welcome them into my mind and accept
the positive vibe the give me, and then allow them flow down the stream as well. Once I remembered this advice, I was really
able to relax and focus on the voice of the woman presenting the exercise.
I
have heard people say that the brain is a muscle, and continually mentally exercising
it in a positive way is bound to keep us healthier, more focused, and
organized. For me, when I stay focused and concentrate on what I need to
do to succeed, I try to stay positive about the decision I have made, no matter
the obstacles, and do the best I can to stay on focused on achieving my goal. Continually
learning about new topic or issue that interests me has keep my mind positive,
and I believe healthier as well….
Thanks
for listening,
~
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have mastered this relaxation thing pretty well. I find all of these exercises helpful, but I keep having these recurring thoughts popping in and out of my head. You know, stupid stuff, like did I turn the button on when I loaded the clothes dryer. And all of these intruding thoughts are while I am practicing the wuite mind thing. Pushing aside the thought be good or bad is a diffucult thing, but I must say I am observing your post with some envy.I can;t seem to 'get there'.
Thanks for sharing
Sharon
I Sharon ~
ReplyDeleteTrust me, it took me a long time to be able to completely relax my mind. My Mom, younger sister, and 14 year-old-daughter take a Yoga class at our local YMCA every week and have an awesome instructor. It is technically a beginners/intermediate class, but it’s a small class and the instructor will focus on whatever we want that week. We spend the last 15~20 in corpse pose (laying on your back, covered with a wool blanked and eye bag, with very relaxing music playing). I look forward to it every week. I also try to do some meditation exercises throughout the week, but they just are not the same as the weekly class. W have been going regularly for about 2 years, and it took a long time to be able to stop the unwanted, and negative thoughts creeping back into my brain.
Best of luck and keep at it, the benefits I gain are great and keep me positive!!
Peace –
~ Cheryl
Cheryl,
ReplyDeleteI really liked the example you used about letting the stress and negative thoughts float away down an imaginary river. That is a good way to think about it. I found the first part of the exercise to be pretty easy - I just thought about my children. I think these exercises are different from the monotony of quizes, papers, etc. I'm having fun with this class! :-)
Stacey
Hi Cheryl,
ReplyDeleteI liked reading your blog. I liked your idea of picking the unwanted thoughts out of your winds, push them aside, and the let them flow away down the imaginary river. I have never tried yoga before, I thought about it once though. I’ll have to try and remember to pick out my unwanted thouhts and send them down a river.
Sherri