Guided Visualization: The Falling Snow

My favorite meditation practice is visualization exercises.  These practices put me in a very calm and relaxed state.  I have downloaded several guided visualization exercises on my IPod and I will listen to them at night before I go to sleep. This has helped me to sleep much better.  What I like the most about visualization exercises these I have started sharing them with my son, as I have mentioned he is autistic and struggles with calming his self when he is upset.  Our favorite visualization (which we do this one pretty much every night before he goes to bed) is called the falling snow, the script was one from one of my other classes.  The exercise takes place in a cabin in the woods on a cold winter night.  The snow begins to fall and you sit in a window seat inside the cabin and watch the snow fall. There is a fire burning in the fireplace you visualize the smells, sounds and sights.  This is such a great exercise, each time we do it my son will add different things that occur while we are on the journey.  Some times we walk out into the snow and listen to the sound of it crunching under our feet, sometimes we may build a snowman. What is nice is that it is relaxing and he can really picture our make believe cabin in the woods. He even ask if we can really go there sometime. We usually will put some calming music on and lie on his bed with our eyes closed as I recite the script of the exercise.  Sometimes he gets upset and says "I can't see the cabin mommy" we then take a few extra minutes and lay there and breath for a few extra minutes until he can get the vision in his head.  This is such a wonderful time for us, and I am so thankful that I have started this practice with him.  It has made such a difference in both of our lives.

The second exercise that I enjoy is the Loving Kindness exercise.  This is one that I have been trying to practice everyday (some days are harder then others to get the full benefit) This practice is one that has helped me to let go of some of my negative emotions that I struggle with and is really helping me move to a new chapter in my life, a much more positive one at that.  There are days that I have more time to really sit and focus on this exercise with no other distractions going on around me, this is when I get the most out of the exercise.  When my day is busy and I will attempt to do the exercise while I am driving or taking my shower in the morning.  What I do know is that by incorporating these exercises into my daily routine, I feel like I am beginning to heal from the inside out. The amazing part is that prior to this I was unaware that I even needed to heal I just new something was missing and now I am beginning to feel more complete.  My stress level seems to be evening out, I have a much more positive outlook, and I find myself in a good mood much more often than I am in a bad one.  If this is the results after 8 weeks I am looking forward to seeing the results after several years of using these practices!

Laurie

Meeting Asclepius

This weeks meditation exercise, was probably my favorite so far.  It is called "Meeting Asclepius".  Asclepius is the Greek God of Medicine. This meditation process is one that helps bring out your inner healer, or your guide on the journey to integral health.

Meeting Asclepius is a guided visualization meditation.  You begin by sitting in a comfortable position, close your eyes and begin by visualizing a person who is wise and has a kind heart, it can be someone you know or you can make someone up.  For me I had spent some time looking at pictures of Asclepius the Greek God, and this was the face that kept appearing when I did the exercise.  An older man with white hair and a beard wearing a long white robe, I had thought that I would visualize my grandmother, but the face of this older man would not leave my mind, so I went with it.This was my inner healer.  Once I was able to keep this individual in my mind and focus on him, the exercise became much easier. 

Now that my mind was focused on this figure, I then visualized a white beam of light shining from the crown of his head, this lite was bright and I could visualize it shining from his head to my forehead.  Think of the light shining as one that enters into your mind, the light will bathe and purify your thoughts and transforming your mind to a still mind.  This was easily visualized by me and I could feel myself becoming more relaxed and my mind stayed focused without wandering and thinking of other things.  From here I began to visualize this same white light now it has moved and is shining from the healers throat towards my throat. The light is purifying my speech, making it loving, wise and sensitive, one that does not speak harsh words towards others.  The final visualization is the light shining from the healers heart penetrating my heart purifying it to be filled with love and kindness.

When the process was finished I felt a sense of peace and my heart felt light and very loving.  Throughout the week, when ever I would want to speak a negative word or began thinking negative thoughts, I would immediately bring the face of this healer to mind. I can't say that it always made me stop, but it has brought more awareness to my words and thoughts and it is lessening the frequency of negativity. I believe if I continue to practice these types of meditation exercises it will eventually become easier to always speak kind words and to eliminate the negative emotions that can clutter my mind.  

The statement "One can not lead another where one has not gone himself" (Dacher, 2006) Is a statement that I completely agree with.  This is why I take everything that I am learning within these classes so serious.  I can not teach others the importance finding balance without taking the appropriate steps to find balance within myself.   It is a journey that although will not be complete as I work with clients, it will be one that I will continually pursue and as I learn I will be able to teach others.  

Laurie

Universal Loving Kindness

This week’s exercise has taking the Loving-Kindness meditation to the next level, which is the practice of Universal Loving Kindness. It is somewhat easy to practice Loving-Kindness for ones that are close to us, but now we must take this feeling and extended it out past our love ones and open our hearts to strangers, enemies, and all of humankind.  Accomplishing this is a “true gift to oneself and the world”. The development of universal loving-kindness is the final leap in our interpersonal development. (Dacher, 2006)

To practice Universal Loving Kindness you will do the following: close your eyes and for a minute or two resting into a relaxed state. Repeat the following phrases for 10 minutes.

               May all individuals gain freedom from suffering.

               May all individuals find sustained health, happiness, and wholeness.

               May I assist all individuals in gaining freedom from suffering.

               May I assist all individuals in finding health, happiness, and wholeness.

When I first began to repeat the above phrases, It was just words I was repeating, but then as I really put my heart into the words and their meaning, the meditation practice became quite fulfilling.

After taking a close look at my personal circumstance, and assessing the four aspects of integral health (psychospiritual, biological, interpersonal, and wordly) I have determined that the interpersonal aspect is what requires the most attention. I have a 13 year old autistic son who struggles with behavior issues.  This causes our relationship to be in turmoil often.  I think one of the most important exercises that I can implement is continuing to practice meditation.  This practice helps to reduce my stress which in turn gives me more patience and understanding. Which once I am able to filter out the stressful situations, I know that my interpersonal relationship will begin to flourish.

Laurie 

The Subtle Mind

This weeks exercise took our conscious mind to the next level.  At this level is where the witnessing mind, the calm-abiding mind, and eventually the unity consciousness is developed.  The Subtle Mind practice is one that assists you in progressing toward psychospiritual flourishing. When practicing this exercise the focus is now on your breathing.  Focusing on each breath as you breath in and out, focusing on the rise and fall of your chest.  There is a connection between the breath and the mind.  Peaceful breathing patterns stills the mind.  If we still our breath we can still our mind. The breath will become the focal point. Focusing on the breath will help to clear the mind of chatter, if thoughts or distractions begin to enter the mind let them come and then turn your focus back to your breathing.  Eventually, during you time of meditation your mind will spend more time in stillness and less time being distracted.  During this time of stillness is when the mind has achieved calm-abiding, when one is able to sustained this calm the mind has then evolved into unity consciousness.

Unlike the Loving-Kindness practice which focus is on opening our hearts and attempt to take us from our own self-centeredness to feeling the love and kindness for others.  The Subtle Mind practices focuses on clearing your mind of all thoughts only the thought of your focal point, your breath.  This exercise reminds me of Lamaze Breathing for childbirth.  I delivered 3 children all natural without the use of any epidural.  I used Lamaze Breathing.  I was able to find a focal point and concentrate on the breathing, which allowed me to divert my attention on the pain to that of my breathing.  Because I was able to do this during a time of excruciating pain I was surprised I had so much difficulty with this exercise this week. I have had a very stressful week and have been a little behind on my school work.  I found it very difficult to relax myself enough to ever achieve stillness.  There were constantly thoughts racing through my head. So for me this week I never was able to achieve the witnessing mind.  Although I know that I have been able to achieve this before.  What is important is practicing these exercises so that during weeks like this one when I need it the most I am able to quite my mind even for 15 minutes would be beneficial for my well-being.

The mind, body, and spirit are so interconnected that an imbalance in one will cause the other to be out of balance.  To achieve integral flourishing a balance of all three must be found.  If I were to be 100% truthful I still need work in all areas.  I struggle the most with the mind.  But I will continue to implement these practices until I am able to find the balance that I am missing. I know for me the road to integral health will not be a short or easy one, but the end benefits are well worth the journey.  

Laurie