I struggled with the universal loving practice. I really like the idea of the practice but I have absolutely no short term memory so I had to refer back to the book a lot and this interrupted my practice. I think that with time this practice will be awesome. I like that it is called the antidote for anger. Anger is one area that I have had to work on intensely through out my life. I can’t wait till I have this practice memorized!
When I did the Integral Assessment I realized why some might not wish to engage in this style of healing. This might seem silly but the building of the assessment was demanding and perhaps, because I am a bit of a perfectionist (ok a total perfectionist), very time consuming. Moreover, without guidance or a wise healer as our book describes it, I can see how one might give up.
With that said, I found that the line of development that needs the most attention in my world is the fitness line of development in the biological aspect of human experience. Although I do stay physically active, I have no set routine. I used to workout regularly but I have slacked on it lately. I practice yoga but I do not feel that my practice is necessarily physically challenging; it is more of a contemplative practice.
One thing that I would like to implement to foster growth in this area would be jogging. About six months ago I bought a jogging stroller for me and my daughter so that I could start jogging with her. Yes, I have been very busy with graduate admissions and graduate testing and wrapping up my BS but I never started jogging. So, that is the first thing I would like to do. The second thing would be to start a core workout. Whether that be at a gym or at home with a DVD, I would like to try that.
Janena
At first I struggled with the Universal practice as well. I found reading it directly from the text book to be distracting. For some reason I wanted to keep reading on, rather than sticking with the practice. I remedied that by writing the practice in my journal. I think that writing is a powerful way of creating the magic of intention. I read the phrases over and over again from my journal. I feel no need to try to memorize it. With time and practice, it will go into my long term memory.
ReplyDeleteJanena, my feedback would be to change your approach to your exercise strategy; “the first thing I would like to do” could become “what I am doing now, even though I cannot do it perfectly or as often or as long as I would like to, is…”
ReplyDeleteI like your strategy and your path is similar to mine. I exercised off and on but never enough to accomplish my goals. Being a perfectionist got in my way a lot, it still does but I have learned to have a great variety of possibilities to use so I am not able to make excuses for not doing what is in my best interest.
I think your ideas would work for any client of mine, but I would make the suggested change. Just remember; “if a job is worth doing it is worth doing poorly.”
One other thing. The universal kindness is just two ideas, the same as the loving kindness practice. As long as you get those two down it does not matter how you say it the effect is the same. Gain freedom from suffering and find sustained health and happiness.
ReplyDeleteMay you gain freedom from suffering.
May you find sustained health, happiness, and wholeness.
May I assist you in gaining freedom from suffering.
May I assist you in finding sustained health, happiness and wholeness.
I really think anger is one of the most important things to get under control. I have a lot of trouble with this too, and I have discovered that this originates in a lot of things that happened to me as a child. When you are practicing you have to learn to let go of those things that cause the anger in the first place, and a contemplative meditation is a great place to start.
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