Final thoughts on Meditation

I can honestly say, I didn't give the meditation exercises a chance. I was very skeptic about meditation since it is something I've never done before. Sure I've heard about it before and was told of the countless benefits it could bring but practicing it requires involvement and if you are not open to the idea and your heart is not in it then you won't benefit from it. The resistance held me back. However, I did like the Loving-kindness in particular. The lovingkindness meditation practice is learning to cultivate love for ourselves and others. I think in this exercise, I did not have to force myself to get involved. I am a very giving person by nature. But loving-kindness is not about setting ourselves aside by becoming martyrs, it's more about recognizing the needs of others. Accepting myself is loving myself. By learning to love myself allows me to extend love to others. Loving-kindness has no restrictions.... meaning it does not end with our family and friends and it does not depend whether one deserves it or not. We are all interconnected from a web of kindness whether it was given directly or indirectly and anyone who contributes to our happiness in any way deserves gratitude and respect in return.

Although the meditation exercises were not fruitful for me this time around, I can't say I shut down the idea of meditation completely. For as long as there is a spark of interest and motivation, I know I can pick it up in the future. Knowing the exercises is a benefit itself!

One cannot lead another where one has not gone himself

The saying means "Practice what you preach." We cannot give advice on something we have no knowledge of for it would be like the other saying "the blind leading the blind."  Last month, I took one of my bulldogs for a routine check-up. This time we were greeted and checked in by an unfamiliar face. I guess the tech is new to the vet's office or it must have been a long time (at least 6 months) since we've seen our vet. She weighed Mushu and shook her head. We already knew what she was thinking...our dog is overweight! But to hear the words "Your dog is fat" sounded unpleasant to our ears especially coming from someone we've never met before and from someone who is clearly showing a serious weight problem herself. My husband and I just looked at each other and ignored her comment. When we got home, my husband could not help but make a comment to what was said in the office. I knew he was going to bring up the fact that the vet tech needs to lose more than a few pounds herself. Now, I don't mean any disrespect to anyone. I am just trying to show my husband's point of view. I think that sensitive issues like this whether it's about people or your pets could have been handled in a positive manner. I guess she could have said "Your dog needs to lose weight for her own sake. I know it's hard speaking from experience.........It would been more acceptable to hear something to that effect." Her comment was just adding insult to injury. I've always believed it is best to lead by example. Anyway, Mushu was put on a diet and is being monitored everymonth. We will find out on Friday if we are making any progress.

As far as the exercise "Meeting with Asciepius", all I can say is this week was a difficult time for me and I could not indulge myself in any form of meditation. I was told it might help but my mind is too occupied and I know myself well enough that it won't work no matter how hard I try. Well, maybe I'll hear some good news from my vet on Friday. That should cheer me up a bit! 

Universal Loving Kindness and Integral Assessment

 The universal loving kindness exercise is very heartwarming. I do believe that love should have no bounderies.

The integral assessment is more soul searching. I do have some interpersonal issues that have been the source of my stress lately. Confronting them and making the wrong decision is what's stopping me from facing them right now. One thing is for sure, I am not ready to face these issues. I don't like reacting to situations right away although these have been brewing for a while now. However, I prefer to step back, analyze the whole situation, and give myself more time to think before making my decision. Interpersonal is also the area of my life that needs growth and development but until I can resolve my issues then I can't really move on.

Loving Kindness vs Subtle Mind Exercise

Last week's meditation on loving kindness didn't go so well but the subtle mind exercise was more fulfilling and satisfying tonight although I failed tremedously on my first attempt yesterday. As always my mind kept wandering and my concentration is some place else. I had a midterm, a project, and 2 assigments all due to day which I successfully finished and since the stressful part of my day is over, I decided to try the subtle mind exercise once more to see if there is any change on the outcome. I honestly did a lot better this time around, I guess because I am much more calmer. A big part of that as well is that everyone is in bed so I am not constantly pulled in different places. I am very skeptical about meditations since I personally think that it's taking time away from me...you know things (chores) that I should be doing other than meditating. If you really think about it, I should consider this "my time" to unwind, to reflect, and be stress free for a few moments.......I have not given up on these exercises yet. In time, I know I will succumb to the idea of meditation.