unit 8 blog

There are many benefits to expanding your inner awareness.  The loving kindness practice helps me to put more attention on others and helps me to remember that my happiness is wrapped around the happiness of others.  The subtle mind practice relieves my worries, slows my mind, and helps me to have a better perspective of where I am.  Visualization is helpful when I have a set goal in mind.  Meditation is my anchor.  My main focus is on the subtle mind practice and meditation.  With these two practices my days are easier and I am able to flow from any situation that occurs.  These two practices are combined into one practice two times a day.  To start the day with a calmer mind and to end the day with a calmer mind are as necessary to me as eating and breathing.  I am grateful to have been given the gift of all these practices.  Visualization will be there when I need it. Visualization is something I use when I am nervous about something I am going to do or a situation I am not prepared for.    The loving kindness practice will be there when more compassion towards others becomes part of my awareness.  When I am feeling anger, resentment, or feeling hurt and rejected using the loving kindness practice towards those that I have perceived have hurt me, will allow me to forgive and let go of my suffering.  These are tools that are a necessary part of human development.  When my mind is focused, calm, and observant my emotions are not running the show and reacting to each and every perceived drama.  This keeps my physical body from having excess adrenaline rushes which keeps my blood pressure down, and I have an opportunity to lessen the suffering of those around me.