Reflections on the Subtle Mind Practice

As great as I thought the Loving Kindness exercise was last week, I know see that it pales in comparison to the Subtle Mind practice. I can only surmise that as we grow to higher levels of consciousness we can no longer find satisfaction in lesser states than our achived whole. In hindsight, I realized I struggled to bring people to mind in the Loving Kindness exercise. I used it twice daily for 7 days and found I was always sending out love to the same people. That can be very limiting in learning to love globally. Even at the time I recall forcing myself to choose a new person, but in the end, I was only loving about 4 people. When it came to loving enemies, they were all faceless, and when we expanded to all things, how did I end up on the same hill top in Austria where Julie Andrews sang and frolicked in the Sound of Music. Very odd in retrospect - entertaining, but very odd!!!

So on to the Subtle Mind practice. I find it is not an easy exercise for me use to start the day. This could be because I don't have much going on in my mind when I first awaken, so my mind wants to wander and exhibit sympoms of ADHD. If I wait about 90-120 minutes, it flows easier and allows me to realign my thoughts for the day, now that I actually have some. Each time it was easier and easier to fall into the simplicity of the witnessing mind and then to allow the thoughts to simply dissolve. I even experienced calm-abiding several times, and can I just say that I LOVED that more than I would have ever expected. I think we are sometimes afraid to be alone with our thoughts, and then we are afraid to be without thought. For me it was arriving home to a place I've never been. I was in the middle of time and space, free floating yet securely anchored to I didn't know or care what exactly. One day I actually completed the practice with my eyes open, staring at the ceiling in my office. That surprised me because I thought I had to close out everything and found that to not be the case.

So where does this lead me on my perspectives on the connection between spiritual wellness and mental/physical wellness? I've been on this path for several years now, and the essence of wholeness for me begins and ends with spiritual wellness. From what I had been taught, to what I have learned, to what I have had the privilege to teach others, the essence of life lies in the spirit. Who we are and what purpose we have in this time and space is found in spiritual wellness. As we go deeper and learn these things about ourselves we begin to live with intention. We desire wholeness of mind and body as the completion of ourselves. For me, the growing spiritual essence of me drives the desire to be well in mind and body so that I can fulfill my purpose. I have experienced periods of mental and physical illness/disease/distress. In hindsight I can tell you that the symptoms were most prevalent during times of spiritual malnourishment. Looking forward to going deeper and learning from the experiences of my past as I move closer to total wellness in the future.

In this together,
Anita