The subtle mind is all about
breathing. In the subtle mind if you still the breath you
still the mind. A peaceful breath is a peaceful mind. The first concentration
is to use your breath as your focal point, although, I find it so hard to keep
a focus on the breath. My mind runs all over the universe. I tried to settle
into the natural ease of my body, returning my mind back to the breath or my
anchor/focal point, when my mind or thoughts would wander, but it is hard to
keep taming my busy mind. It is a process like the CD said, and it will be
something I must get used to. Being patient and not so much reacting to
everything. I am supposed to witness things without reacting to them. In our
witnessing consciousness or healthy psychology, we can stop, see, understand,
make choices about our thoughts and feelings and have clearer intentions (but
no quick reactivity anymore).
We can see it/things/thoughts/feelings/images, what’s in our
head rolling around, our mental activity, but not grasp it, just see it. We can
still our mind. Not hold on to the mental activity, just see it and let go of
it and let it fade away and just witness it come and go. We can control the
mental chatter, shut it down, turn it off and be in stillness again focusing on
breath only.
This is how I understand the subtle mind. It is really a
control of my emotions not grabbing a thought, especially a disturbing thought,
and running with it. I can see it, acknowledge that disturbing thought or
image, and let it go. It is like I am in control. My thoughts do not control me
anymore, I control them. I don't react.
If I were to compare the Loving-kindness (LK) practice, with
the subtle mind exercise, I like the first one more. In the loving-kindness
practice, it is enjoyable to think of a loved one, and open my heart to their thoughts.
I do not like to think about the bad sensations, as it suggests, but, I try not
to grasp at it, as the CD says. This will take me more time to learn for me. It
is easier to give the good thoughts and images more attention. Letting a loved
ones suffering come into my heart and body is hard for me. I would rather think
it than breathe it. I would rather think of help and joy for them than breath
it in and out of my heart and body. This is a whole new concept, not easy or
sure I can do this. Imagining a circle of strangers and taking in their
suffering is hard. I can imagine someone I know better. I can do it if I
imagine a flood or landslide and get sad for the people on TV that this
happened to. (I do cry when I see things like that on TV, does that count I
wonder?)
Observing and not grasping. Loving myself, feeling a natural
rest, ease, and openness is hard for me, but necessary according to the LK
practice. I have thought of others more in my life and turning it to myself is
harder for me.
Both practices do not allow grasping the thoughts,
feelings and/or images of the mind, but, just observation. The natural home is
awareness of and not the grasping of what we observe with our mind.
I take the mind-body connection to mean that we need to keep
our mind stable, not upset or stressed, but under complete control. Our body
and the way we treat it, needs to be controlled. If we don't control what we
eat, we will end up weighing 400 pounds. If we do not eat healthy, we could get
cancer or die of a heart attack, or high blood pressure could lead to a heart
attack. Our exercise, diet, habits, all need to be balanced with our mind and
emotions to have a flourishing life. I personally ride a bike many miles a day
(26 today) to keep a mental and physical balance. I feel successful and
productive after I have done my routine. This makes me feel balanced and keeps
my body balanced.
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