Subtle Mind Practice

The subtle mind practice: Breathing

“Peaceful breathing can lead to a peaceful mind.  The breath is always with us.”

When I would try to focus on my breathing it was frustrating because I would not breathe normal.  I would focus so much on my breathing that it would mess up the normal inhalation and exhalation and make me feel out of breath or uncomfortable breathing.  When comparing the subtle mind practice to the loving-kindness exercise, I would have to say that I enjoyed the loving-kindness activity so much more.  I felt like the exercise was more in depth and pushed me to expand myself to think about deep thoughts and feelings that I had kept unrevealed for a long time.  It was an exercise that I could definitely repeat and participate in daily or weekly. 

During the subtle mind practice, the voice said that “bringing your mind back to your breath is like an anchor in the ground.  It is a forceful thought that has to be done in order to keep out the business of the mind.” If I am relaxing I do not want to have to “force” my mind to do anything.  Training the mind is one thing but it should not have to be forced to do it.  The voice would also give you commands during the exercise.  I understand that you need instructions to do the objectives but I felt like the voice was just another mindless chatter that I could not clear my mind of.  Even if it is part of the exercise, my mind did not feel still. 

When my spirit is feeling at ease and peaceful, this brings my mind at ease and peace.  As discussed before, the mind and body are one and I believe the spirit and mind are connected also, along with the emotional aspect of our being.  These four aspects would all be considered the integral healing of one.  When each aspect’s needs are being met then the body as a whole can function properly and adhere to the human flourishing that is explained and talked about in the reading material.