Unit 4: Loving-Kindness

I can see how this exercise could be beneficial, but I had a rather difficult time with it.  I attempted the exercise twice, with the recording and with the directions on the book.  And though I was able to maintain focus the first time, I was interrupted by my baby. The next attempt, I completed the exercise, but found that I couldn’t maintain my focus. My thoughts were constantly wandering and I just couldn’t seem to grasp the loving-kindness feelings, especially towards strangers and enemies.  As Christians, we are called to love all, including our enemies. I am going to be honest and admit that I have a hard time with that. I don’t necessarily harbor hatred for others, but when I think about murderers, rapists, molesters, I can’t bring myself to feel love for them. During the exercise, for some reason, I thought about the father who savagely took the lives of his two young sons, and then took his own, here in Washington. I thought of this family specifically, because the crime happened relatively close to where I live.  I couldn’t feel love, peace, or anything positive at that moment and instead felt an overwhelming sadness for the loss of the precious lives of these boys.  I immediately tried to focus my thoughts on others, but I couldn’t wait for the completion of the exercise.  Although, my experience wasn’t great, I realize that it is going to require perseverance and hard work in order to train the mind, just as it would a fit body. I am not going to let this experience discourage any future attempts. My issue is finding time, twice a day, to do this. Perhaps I will be able to do so when my husband returns from training, but at the moment, I am having difficulty setting aside time for school! I would recommend this exercise to others because I believe that each will experience this differently and if there is a chance for benefit then it is well worth the try.

In the context of psychospiritual flourishing, a mental workout entails incorporating practices into one’s daily life in an effort to attain this full inner flourishing.  The purpose of the loving-kindness exercise is to diminish self-centeredness, thus setting oneself up for further development.  The subtle mind exercise aims at cultivating wisdom and addresses witnessing, calm-abiding, and unity consciousness (Dacher, 2006, p.65).  Research studies indicate that a trained mind can influence our physiology, hormonal system, and immune system.  It can also positively affect attention, memory and other mental functions (Dacher, 2006, p. 63).  Aside from  these two exercises, I can incorporate other meditative practices that promote an overall sense of contentment. I will always look toward prayer for self-development.

Dacher, E. (2006).  Integral health: The path to human flourishing. Laguna Beach, CA: Basic Health Publications, Inc.