I must say that I actually did not mind performing the meditation techniques of the universal loving-kindness activity. While I had difficulty remembering all those lines at once, I eventually got the hang of it and felt truly relaxed at the end of the session. I can easily see how a person who is angry or upset could use this exercise to change his or her negative thoughts into loving and positive ones. From this exercise, I learned that I do have the ability to feel peace when I am overwhelmed or stressed out. Rather than dwell on my negative emotions when I am angry at someone, perhaps next time I will try this philosophy instead! I still think it would have helped to have a voice constantly whisper that to me during my relaxation session, however, as we have done in the past with the voice recordings.
I found the integral assessment to be a much harder exercise. Again, I do not know if it was because I had to stop my sessions to read about what I was supposed to be doing, or if I just had a difficult time with the concepts of the lesson as a whole. From this exercise, I discovered that there are several apsects of myself that can be the center for growth and development. For example, I choose my biological aspect as currently being the source of difficulty and suffering in my life. My husband and I just found a little while ago that I am seven weeks pregnant, and very much so in the middle of morning sickness! I have had about two full weeks of feeling really sick with nausea and migraines, and it is really starting to wear on me a little bit! As such, it is definitely starting to affect my psychospiritual development as well!
What I did find useful about this exercise was having the opportunity to truly focus on what my problems were right now and how I could go about fixing them. Rather than dwelling on the negative physical symptoms that I am going through right now, I instead tried to see the positive side of the situation by recognizing that my body is going through a lot of changes right now, and that in nine months, I will be given a beautiful gift that I could get no where else. I found that changing my attitude about the situation did help somewhat. Also, I have been practicing some deep breathing exercises lately when my symptoms are high, and I have noticed that focusing on the in and out's of breathing rather than my nausea does help me, both biologically and spiritually. I am able to better calm down and it keeps my body from tensing up. While I did have difficulty with this exercise intially, I do suppose that it has helped to push me in the right direction of growth and development within myself!
Aimee Fairbanks
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Hello Aimee,
ReplyDeleteFirst, congrads on your new baby and it is my sincere prayer that you have a healthy and safe pregnancy and delivery. Your experience with this meditation was completely different from mine..it seems like you found a way to use this exercise as a means to overcome negative feelings and stressful moments. I would like very much to practice this meditation in hopes of accomplishing that. My mind went in a different direction, honestly I did not think of myself but immediately begin to think of others..the concern for people when they feel like no one cares.I must dedicate more time helping others who simply just need a shoulder to lean on. Thank you for sharing your experience and I hope everything work in your favor.
Hi Aimee,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations again on your new little one. It is truly a magical time. Our son is six months old and it has been a wonderful, exhausting, and amazing experience. I can tell you that my wife went through the same feelings that you are going through and she always said that it gets better. I made her a lot of toast. :) I agree with you about the Universal Loving Kindness Meditation Practice. I was able to embrace this practice a little bit better than the others. Maybe it is because we are in the middle of the quarter, but I feel like I am kinda getting this stuff. I am using the techniques to calm me down and to work through my daily stresses.
Thanks,
Aaron
Aimee,
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're continuing to make progress and are moving forward in a positive direction! Something I can relate to that you've expressed is getting in touch with the angry feelings and trying to convert them into something positive.
Esther wrote to me on the discussion board that anger was a gift, so to speak, in order to facilitate change. I thought that was VERY profound and I stopped to think about that for a few minutes....I can still acknowledge the anger, and it's okay to be angry, but then after experiencing the anger, I need to learn to turn it into a positive aspect of the emotion and facilitate change! (Sounds great in theory and I'm anxious to try it! Hopefully with much success! :)
I wish you continued success, positve growth, and a safe week!
Michelle
Congratulations on your pregnancy! There is definitely a tunnel at the end of the light so to speak! Morning sickness will give way to the feeling of being bloated to getting kicked in the tummy at all hours of the day and night, to eventually a wonderful delightful bundle of joy! Take this time to talk to your little one and get to know him or her... It is said that a baby in the womb recognizes the voices of his or her parents almost from the get go... so let this little one get to know you! It will get better!
ReplyDeleteFocusing on your breathing is always the best way to center yourself and to help in calming youself down. Breath is essential - it is the essence of life. When you focus on your breathing you are therefore focusing on the essence of your life.